WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that can be used to create all types of websites.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you learn how to create beautiful layouts with drag & drop ease in WordPress websites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The WordPress Editor Meeting All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
With so many improvements that WordPress has undergone in recent years, many WordPress developers and users feel that using the WordPress content editor to create or edit complex content elements can sometimes be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex content elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
Adding the above to your content would require inserting something that looks like this inside the default WordPress visual content editor …
Typically, this is not an issue … until you need to change the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background colour inside box 1 from dark green to purple. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to provide users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, when working with more complex page elements, what you see in the visual editor is not the same as what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, some people argue that you could be better off working inside the WordPress html (text) editor tab instead of the visual editor when trying to add fancy page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental challenge with using HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress visual editor can be summarized by asking the following questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor match 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 editor does not look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that users need to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking multiple steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for your updates to load.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions with the aim of addressing this issue. These range from WordPress plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to 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 requiring so many page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative editors work fine, but they still fail to address the fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 page content to look “just right” quickly, this can start to become very frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now, visualize this …
- You see something in your content that needs changing so you, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content is then instantly changed.
- You simply drag and drop elements on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will appear on the front end without having to mentally visualize shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific piece of content you would like to add, so you just start typing, and you build your web page on the fly, without delays, with no switching of tab browsers, and without waiting for new pages to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the ideal way to create content for your website? A true visual editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages in real-time for your web content with no 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 With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content building plugin.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin 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 and an item menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content editor to your WordPress site)
The plugin is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins combined into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
In this article we’ll take a look at each of the above and how all of this powerful functionality works together to help you transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder For WordPress
With Thrive Content Builder easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be created with “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” ease …
Once you have placed elements on a page, you can then further edit or customize these without having to go through multiple steps or opening extra option screens …
You can also create beautiful landing pages and easily edit these …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with the plugin installed is so effortlessly easy, that the developers guarantee that you’ll never look at the process of creating content the same way once you start using it
For more details, visit the plugin site here: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another fantastic plugin for WordPress that we have previously reviewed on this site.
To read more about the plugin, see this page:
Plugin Benefits
Here are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Fast And Easy To Install And Configure. Ready To Use In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any WordPress plugin. Just upload a zip file containing the plugin to your Plugins folder via your WordPress dashboard and activate.
Add And Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only really simple to use, it also lets you edit and build content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the editor – typefaces, visual elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Additional plugin benefits include:
- 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 a drag and drop WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of professional web design elements that you can customizable and insert into your pages without using short codes, such as flat design elements, feature grids, buttons, Google Map embeds, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to wait for the page to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to build the web pages your business needs, quickly and without having to mess with code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Add, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, columns, star ratings for review pages, section dividers, responsive maps, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WP users a number of powerful features. Here are just some:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the regular content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, left-aligned paragraphs, font styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of elements available on your post or page screen when creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Add responsive columns, boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you insert animation in buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Template 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating gorgeous landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized web page templates
- No tech skills needed
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder not only lets you create beautiful-looking content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally 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 over thirty templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the templates shown above, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template
Normally, in order to fully customize a landing page template, 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 what to do 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 stunning pre-built page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and customize any element of the page templates …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Modify text in any button, bullet point, headline, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Change any background images and background colours
- Change the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Change content area size
- Change the order of elements on your pages
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add custom content in the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change and customize any aspect of your page template)
Transform Your Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your content pages …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can 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)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when your visitor clicks or hovers 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 images on your pages, using various effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from bottom to top, roll out, 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 a couple of the testimonials and comments customers have submitted for Thrive Content Builder:
”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”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add short codes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly on on your site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build with Thrive Content Builder.
Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin comes with free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The Thrive team is constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are very well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, 100% money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Plugin 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 Licensing – This option allows you to install the plugin on 1 website only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This enables you to configure the plugin on unlimited web sites that you own. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – This enables you to set up the plugin on all of your own web sites and all client web sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The price of the Thrive Content Builder software depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Currently, the plugin retails for the pricing shown above. This may not be the actual price set by the product developer when you visit the product website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the current price here:
Additional Information
The Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin developers repeatedly assert 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 speed up your content creation, and on the other hand, you have complete control over the design process and the ability to edit everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated steps.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive website.
We Highly Recommend This …
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 instantly. If you want to move something, all you need to do is simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no unnecessary steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, visit the plugin website here:
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