WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that is now being used to design all types of pages – landing pages, portfolio pages, business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the ultimate drag and drop front end content builder for WordPress web sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress WYSIWYG Editor Meet All Of Your Page Design Needs?
Using the WordPress editor to build or edit sophisticated website pages can be difficult.
(The default WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding more complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the screenshot below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, users would normally have to insert short codes into the content for each of the elements they would like to add to their page …
Generally, this is not an issue … unless you decide to reconfigure the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the background color in box 3 from dark green to light blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the editor.
The WordPress editor is supposed to provide non-technical users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to add more complex content elements, what you see in the visual editor may not be the same as what you are going to get when your content goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, some people argue that users could even be better off working directly inside the WordPress html (text) editor tab instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to create non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it hard for non-technical users to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental problem of using shortcodes and HTML to create content with WordPress can be summarized by asking the following questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a web page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor resemble the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see in the content editor doesn’t look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you have to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of 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 coming along, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for the content to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have tried to come up with various solutions to try and make the visual editor easier. Some of these solutions range from WP plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP themes that include built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex page layouts easier!)
Some solutions end up combining so many complex page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental challenge of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Adding and editing sophisticated content elements on a web 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 “just right” quickly, this can become quite frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now, imagine this …
- You see something in the content that needs correction so you, simply click on the content and start editing it. Your content is instantly edited.
- You can drag and drop elements around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate any HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content you would like to create, so you just begin typing, and you build your web page as you go, without delays, no switching of tab browsers, and no waiting for web pages to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the ideal way to build content for your site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the page?
(Imagine being able to create complex web page layouts in real-time for your web content without technical skills required!)
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 Builder Plugin – Create Beautiful Web Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Sites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content builder plugin for WordPress.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress site.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with a sidebar menu that lets you select, then drag and drop elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to your WordPress site)
The Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder plugin is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins merged into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
We’ll cover all of the above plugins and how these exciting features work together to help you transform and improve your site and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
You can easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be created by ”clicking-to-edit” and “dragging and dropping” things around the page …
Once you have placed elements on the page, you can then continue to customize or edit them without going through additional steps or switching screens …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you build highly attractive landing pages that can also be easily customized …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages with the plugin installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers warn that you will never look at creating content the same way once you start using it
Learn more about the plugin here: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another amazing plugin for WordPress we’ve written about on this site.
To read about this plugin, see this article:
Plugin Benefits
Here we have listed just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Easy To Install
Thrive Content Builder installs like any plugin. Simply upload it to your Plugin folder via your WP dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is very simple to use and lets you create content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits and advantages include the following:
- Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Design Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and easy-to-use click-to-edit content editor, but the plugin also includes a collection of customizable web design elements that you can customizable and insert into your pages without using shortcodes, for e.g.: tabbed content, content reveal feature, section dividers, custom HTML and CSS, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for your new content to load frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Easily insert, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, columns, content reveal feature, dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many unique features to WordPress users. Below we have listed just a few:
- Regular Content Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the built-in WordPress content editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold formatting, justified text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of elements to your post or page screen when creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive columns, guarantee boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on all different kinds of devices.
- Add Animation Events To Your Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you add animated images, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Sets
Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language to take your visitors from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages provides you with conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating and customizing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No web coding skills required
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content Builder not only can be used to create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, conversion optimized web page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page template sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are currently over 30 templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the available templates, the developers plan to release new web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Completely Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, to be able to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web designer to do the work, or learn web coding languages like HTML and CSS 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 overly 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 building conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you beautiful pre-built web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and edit anything on your page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can:
- Edit text in any button, bullet point, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Change any background images or colours
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Edit content area size
- Change the order of elements on the pages
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add custom content anywhere in the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own pages from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or customize any aspect of the page template)
Thrive Lightbox – Transform Your Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your pages …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(When visitors click on the button, they are presented with an opt-in form)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover 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 page, using various effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from right to left, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Plugin Customers
Below are just some testimonials and comments plugin customers have provided for Thrive Content Builder:
“I have had nothing but the best experience imaginable with this tool since I purchased it. This is by far one of, if not the best plug-in I have purchase to date and it has definitely made working with WordPress a whole new experience. Jim Bond”
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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”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created using the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Plugin Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder Plugin provides free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, 100% refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Plugin Cost
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 Licensing – This edition allows you to install the plugin on a single website. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This option allows you to configure the plugin on all domains that you personally own. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – Use on all your websites and on client domains. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: The price of the product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Currently, the software is selling for the amounts shown above. This may not be the actual price charged by the product seller when you visit the plugin website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized templates that help to make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the freedom to change and customize everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you get things done without having to open multiple dialog boxes.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
In Conclusion …
If you want to edit something, just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you can see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, you drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your site and create awesome sales pages and content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more details, check out the plugin here:
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