WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool being used to design all types of web pages – marketing pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the most straight-forward way to create stunning content in WordPress.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The Default WordPress Editor Meeting All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
With so many developments that WordPress has undergone in recent years, many WordPress developers feel that the WordPress content editor is not really suitable for building and customizing sophisticated page layouts.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
To create the above layout, you would normally have to insert shortcodes into the content for each of the page elements you want to display …
Typically, this is not an issue … until you choose to change some part of the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or change the button inside box 3 from red to some other color. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, when working with more complex page elements, what you see in the visual editor may not be what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, you may even be better off working directly inside the html editor tab instead of the visual editor when trying to add something other than simple page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for WordPress site owners with no coding skills to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental issue of having to use HTML and shortcodes to create content in WordPress can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor resemble 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 content editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to translate mentally what your content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for for your updated content to reload.
Many WordPress developers have come up with different solutions with the goal of addressing this issue. Some of these range from standalone plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that include built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex layouts easier!)
Some solutions end up requiring so many complex page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they don’t really address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes 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 to create or edit complex layouts quickly, this can start to become very frustrating after a while.
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, imagine the following …
- You see something in your content that needs fixing so you, just click on the content and start editing it. Your content is then instantly fixed.
- You can just drag and drop elements on the page, and see them exactly as they 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 simply start typing, and you build your page as you go, without delays, with no switching tabs, and without having to wait for new web pages to reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your WordPress web site? A true WYSIWYG 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 quickly 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 And Landing Pages
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a revolutionary plugin for WordPress that allows you to easily add amazing content to WordPress posts and pages using a true WYSIWYG click-to-edit and drag and drop content editor.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides you with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding amazing content to your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you drag and drop elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content builder to your WordPress site)
Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages 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 examine all of the above and how these exciting features work seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your website and create awesome sales pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Builder Plugin
This plugin lets you easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be designed by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have positioned elements on a page, you can continue to further edit these without having to go through additional steps or switching tabs …
The built-in Thrive Landing Pages also lets you build highly attractive landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages with Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that once you start using it, it will ruin the experience of using any other content editor forever, and you’ll never look back!
Go here to learn more: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another amazing plugin for WordPress we’ve previously recommended on this site.
Go here to read about the plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages Plugin
Below we have listed just some of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Be Up And Running In Very Little Time
Thrive Content Builder is very easy to install. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your administrator section and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only really simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you create, edit and add content right inside your web pages in real-time.
What You See Is Exactly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back-end” as you work within the editor – typefaces, visual elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional plugin benefits include:
- Attractive Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Add Design Elements With No Short Codes Required: 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 jaw-dropping collection of web design elements that you can use on your pages without using shortcodes, like content toggle, gradient boxes, page section dividers, responsive Google map embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for the new content to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build or edit your content or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Easily insert, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, columns, guarantee boxes, section dividers, responsive Google map embeds, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides web site owners many features. Below we have listed just some of these:
- Built-In WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, left-aligned paragraphs, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive columns, boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on all different kinds of devices.
- Add Animation Events To Your Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animation in buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – 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 from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin lets you easily add conversion-optimized web pages to your website)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing beautiful-looking pages for your WordPress web site
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No tech skills needed
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder 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 …
(Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are over 30 templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the templates that are currently available, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable Landing Page Template
Typically, in order to have completely customizable landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web developer to do the work, or learn how to code web pages 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 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 building conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you great-looking pre-designed page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and edit any aspect of your page templates …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Edit text in any bullet point, button, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of your landing page
- Change the background image and background colors
- Edit the color of links, text, buttons, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Modify content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on the page
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any type of custom content in any of the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build your own library of custom landing page templates.
(Change or edit anything on the page)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your website …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your WordPress website with Thrive Lightbox)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, 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 page, using a range of effects (e.g. zoom in from the page center, slide in from left to right, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress website with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over all events, triggers and design.
User Feedback
Here are just a few of the testimonials and comments that plugin users have submitted regarding 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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”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”
Plugin Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created with the plugin.
You can add WordPress 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.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin comes with free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive plugins are very well-supported, and users get unlimited software upgrades, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that just keeps getting better.
Software 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 License – This lets you use the plugin on one web site only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This lets you activate the plugin on all of your personal domains. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – Use on your domains and on client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The above reflects the pricing at the time this article was written. This may not be the actual pricing set by the product developer when you visit the website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Info
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder plugin 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 web page elements and template sets that help speed up content creation, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over the design process and the ability to change anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which lets you see how the content you are working on will look after publishing.
For a demo video showing how the plugin works, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, you click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you’ll see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web site and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging 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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