WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool that is now used to design all types of pages – landing pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest way to build stunning content in WordPress websites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress Content Editor Still Meet All Of Your Web Design Needs?
Using the default WordPress content editor to create or edit complex content elements can be challenging.
(The default WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding complex page elements can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
Creating the above content in a page would require typing something that looks like this in the default WordPress visual editor …
Generally, this is not an issue … until you have to change your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the button in box 3 from red to orange. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, if you are working with complex page elements, what you see in the WordPress visual content editor screen is not the same as what you are getting when the web page goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users may even be better off working inside the WordPress html editor tab instead of the WYSIWYG editor when trying to build something other than simple layouts …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for WordPress site owners without coding skills to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a 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, what you see when working in the content editor does not look anything like what you see in the front end. This means that users need to abstract what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for your updated content to refresh.
Many WordPress developers have tried to come up with various solutions to try to make the visual editor easier. Some of these range from standalone plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP themes that come with built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex content easier!)
Some solutions end up combining so many page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative editors work fine, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding sophisticated content elements 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 pages to look ”perfect” quickly, this can become really frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your content?
Now that you’ve asked this question, visualize this …
- You see something in your content that needs to be corrected so you, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content has been instantly fixed.
- You can just drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for some content you would like to create, so you just begin typing, and your web page gets built as you go, without delays, no tab switching, and without waiting for edits to reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to build content for your website? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex 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 – Create Stunning Content Faster And Beautiful Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content creator.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you click, then drag and drop elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to WordPress)
The 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 plugins and how all of this exciting functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your web site and create amazing marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
You can easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your page can be created by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have placed your elements on a page, you can then continue to customize or edit them without going through additional steps or switching screens …
You can also create highly attractive landing pages that can also be easily customized …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing web pages and working on content with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
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 great plugin that we have reviewed on this site.
Go here to read more about the plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages
Here are just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Installation Is Easy & Quick
Thrive Content Builder installs like any regular plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is simple to use and lets you create and edit content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – fonts, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Eye-Catching Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Customizable Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and simple-to-use drag and drop WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes a collection of design elements that you can use on your web pages without using short codes, such as flat design elements, borderless content, testimonials, countdown timers, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you tweak your content and then wait for your updates to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the web pages 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 insert, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, pricing tables, gradient boxes, page section dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WP users many great features. Here are just some of these features:
- Built-In WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the regular WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, centering text, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of elements to your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help you increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Page Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like columns, text boxes, dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Your Web Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you create animations, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Sets
Landing page template sets are web page 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 plugin provides you with conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating stunning pages for your site
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No technical skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content and Landing Page 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, 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 currently over thirty 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, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Typically, to be able to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web site 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 mess around with 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 creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you great-looking pre-built web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and edit any aspect of the page …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can:
- Modify text in any bullet point, button, headline, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change all background images or color
- Edit the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Change the size of the content area
- Change the order of elements on your pages
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add custom content anywhere in the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change or customize anything on the page)
Transform Your WordPress Website Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin combo also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your site …
(Add opt-in forms and events to your WordPress pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can increase your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(2-step opt-in forms can help improve your conversion rates.)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover their mouse over a button or an image, 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 animation effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from bottom to top, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over all events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Below are just some testimonials that users 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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”Your stuff is beautifully designed, fast and has great options for marketers that you just don’t see with other themes. Great, great job! Absolutely love Thrive! David Coleman”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly on on your site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder Plugin provides free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The Thrive team is constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive software is very well-supported, and users get unlimited software updates, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Plugin Price
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 allows you to use the plugin on one domain only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Edition – This edition enables you to run the plugin on unlimited domains that you own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – Use on all your websites & on client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost of purchasing the product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The price above was correct when this article was published. This may not be the actual price charged by the software author when you visit the plugin website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin repeatedly 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 page elements and templates that help make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you have complete control over the design process and the ability to edit and customize anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For a demo video of the plugin, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Get This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you’ll see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For full details, check out the plugin here:
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