WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool that can be used to create all types of sites.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover the ultimate click-to-edit front end visual content editor for WordPress web sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Content Editor – Is There A Faster Tool To Create And Edit Content In WordPress?
With so many developments that the WordPress platform has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers and users feel that using the WordPress content editor to build or edit complex layouts can be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above layout, you would need to insert shortcodes into your content for each of the elements you want to create …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you decide to change your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or change the button inside box 2 from red to dark red. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to create more complex page elements, what you see in the visual editor may not be what you are going to get when your web page gets published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users would probably be better off working with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to build fancy page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for WordPress site owners with no knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental challenge about having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content with WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” match the content in the “front end” when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see when working in the back end looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to mentally translate what your content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking several steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between browser tabs and performing updates to see how your content is progressing, which then impacts how fast you can create your content, as you wait for the new content to reload.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with various solutions with the objective of making content editing easier. Some of these alternative solutions range from standalone plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that come with built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions require so many page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative editors work fine, but they still fail to address the fundamental challenge of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding non-linear content on a page becomes overly complicated, involves multiple steps and doesn’t match what users expect to see on the “front end.”
If you want your web content to look ”perfect” quickly, this can become very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your pages?
Now, imagine the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs to be corrected, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content is then instantly changed.
- You just drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally abstract from shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for an item of content that you would like to create, so you just begin typing, and you build your page as you go, with no delays, no tab switching, and without having to wait for new web pages to refresh.
Would this not be the ideal way to build content for your WordPress site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages quickly for your web content with no technical constraints!)
If you are ready to change the way you create content in WordPress site, then here is a plugin that you may want to consider using …
Thrive Content And Landing Page Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Creation Plugin For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content and landing page builder plugin for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding great content to WordPress web sites.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and an item menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editor to WordPress)
The Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder plugin is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins rolled into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
Let’s review each of the above and how these exciting features work together to help you transform and improve your website and create awesome marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
This plugin lets you easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your page can be configured, changed and customized by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have positioned elements on the page, you can then further edit these without having to go through additional steps or complicated settings windows …
You can also build stunning landing pages that can also be easily edited …
Thrive Content and Page Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that you’ll never look at the process of creating content the same way once you start using it
More info: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin for WordPress we’ve written about on this site.
To read more about this plugin, go here:
Benefits
Below we have listed just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Quick And Easy To Install And Implement. Ready To Start Using In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs like every WordPress plugin. Simply upload it to your Plugins folder via your WordPress dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Building And Editing
Thrive Content Builder is simple to use and lets you add content right inside your web pages in real-time.
What You See Is Truly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the editor – fonts, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Additional benefits include:
- Beautiful Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Add Customizable Elements Without Short Codes: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an exciting and simple-to-use click-to-edit content editor, but the plugin also includes a jaw-dropping collection of professional design elements that you can customizable and use on your web pages without using shortcodes, such as content toggle, content reveal feature, testimonials, responsive Google maps, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for the page to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to build the content your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily create, edit and customize web page elements like testimonial boxes, content toggle, content reveal feature, call to action buttons, custom HTML and CSS, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WP users many features. Below we have listed just a few of these:
- Built-In Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the regular text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, centering text, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements to your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Element Design: Add responsive elements like columns, text boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will display great on all different kinds of devices.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animated content elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Templates
Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language to take your visitors all the way from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin provides you with conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating great-looking landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No tech skills required
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only can be used to create beautiful-looking content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally designed, page templates that are conversion-optimized and fully customizable …
(Landing page template sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are 30+ templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the templates shown above, the developers plan to release new page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template
Normally, in order to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either hire a web developer to do the work, or learn how to code web pages and figure out how to edit the page code yourself.
As Shane Melaugh, co-founder of Thrive Themes says …
“There are many ways to get a pre-designed page published quickly, but the problem comes with customization. Total design freedom requires either hiring web developers to do the work for you, or learn how to do it yourself, which involves learning how to code or use complicated editors. Customizable usually means complicated, expensive or time-consuming. So, you can either have something that is fast and easy to set up, or something that is customizable and flexible. But you couldn’t have both … until now! With Thrive Landing Pages you get the best of both worlds for creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you attractive pre-built pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or edit anything on your page template …
The landing page templates included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Change text in all buttons, bullet points, headlines, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Replace any background images and edit colours
- Change the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Modify content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on the pages
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere inside the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build your own library of custom landing page templates.
(Change and edit any aspect of the page template)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin combo also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your WordPress site …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your sales pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can help improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on a button or image, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a two-step opt-in process)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form appear when when visitors click or hover their mouse over a button or graphic elements, or when someone reaches a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate attention-getting elements on your pages, using various effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from right to left, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
User Testimonials
Below are a couple of the testimonials and feedback users have written about the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
”Wow! This is just getting better & better. This plugin is making my websites look so professional. Keep up the great work and thank you for the new features. Ladonna Ragalin”
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”Great stuff! I am really impressed by all the new additions. You guys have shown a true commitment to making these themes and the Content Builder awesome. Michael Johnson”
Plugin Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin provides free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The Thrive team is constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive plugins are very well-supported, and users get unlimited software updates, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Product Pricing
At the time of writing, the pricing information shown below includes all three components described above (Thrive Content Builder, Thrive Landing Pages & Thrive Lightbox):
- Single Site Edition – This lets you activate the plugin on one site only. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This license option allows you to install the plugin on all of your personal websites. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License – Use on all your sites & on all your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing for the Thrive Content Builder software can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. When we last checked, the software retails for the prices shown above. This may or may not be the actual pricing set by the product author when you visit the plugin site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
The developers of the Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin emphatically maintain that the plugin’s architecture gives you the “best of both worlds,” and help bring back the “joy of creating content.”
On the one hand, you have time-saving features like ready-made web page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized template sets that help make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the freedom to change and customize anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that allows you to see how the content you are working on will display after publishing.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Download This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, you just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you can see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no overly complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, visit the plugin website:
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