WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that is now being used to create all types of web sites.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest way to create beautiful web page layouts in your WordPress web site.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There A Smarter Tool To Create Web Pages In WordPress?
With so many improvements that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers believe that using the built-in WordPress editor to create or edit complex page layouts can be quite difficult.
(The WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and media, but adding complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, you would have to add shortcodes to the content for each element you want to display on the web page …
Typically, this is not an issue … until you want to edit an integral aspect of the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background color inside box 3 from red to light blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
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, if you are trying to add complex content elements, what you see in the WordPress content editor screen is not the same as what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some situations, users may even be better off working with the source html itself instead of the visual editor when trying to add complex page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for non-technical users to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental issue about using 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 ”back end” match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above screenshot, what you see when working in the back end doesn’t look at all like what you see in the front end. This means that users have 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 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 page to reload.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with various solutions to try and address this issue. These solutions range from standalone plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that provide built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions require so many complex page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative solutions work, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Adding and editing non-linear content 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 pages to look “just right” quickly, this can become quite frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine the following …
- You spot something in your content that needs to be corrected so you, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You simply drag and drop elements on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally visualize any shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific piece of content that you’d like to add, so you immediately begin typing, and you build your web page on the fly, without delays, without tab switching, and without waiting for pages to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to create content for your web site? A true WYSIWYG content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages quickly 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 – The Simplest WYSIWYG Editor For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a ground-breaking WordPress plugin that lets website owners easily add amazing content to their posts and pages using true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides you with a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of adding great content to your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with an item menu that lets you select, then drag and drop elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content editor to your WordPress site)
The Thrive Content And Page Builder 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.
We’ll take an in-depth look at each of the above plugins and how these powerful features work seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your web presence and create awesome sales pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
This plugin lets you easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be designed using simple “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” …
Once you have placed your elements on a page, you can then easily edit or customize them without going through multiple steps or opening more configuration windows …
You can also create stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers warn that you’ll never look back once you start using it
More info: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another fantastic plugin that we have previously written about on this site.
Go here to read more about the plugin:
Benefits
Below we have listed just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Fast And Simple To Install And Configure. Ready To Go To Work In No Time.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any other plugin. Simply upload it to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit & Add Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple to use, it also lets you add content right inside your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – typefaces, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits include:
- Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Design Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a visually exciting drag and drop WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of functional and attractive design elements that you can customizable and add to your web pages without using short codes, like content toggle, star ratings for review pages, section dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you tweak content and then wait for pages to reload frees up your attention and allows you to build the web pages your business needs, quickly and without having to deal with code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, pricing tables, content boxes, page section dividers, custom HTML and CSS, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WP users many powerful features. Here are just a few of these:
- Regular WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the regular content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, justified paragraphs, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help you increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, guarantee boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Web Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you create animations, 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing and customizing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Landing Pages and Content 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 beautifully designed, page templates that are conversion-optimized and fully customizable …
(Landing page sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are over 30 templates available, with more templates scheduled for release. In addition to the templates shown above, the developers plan to release new templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, in order to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web site developer 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 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-designed web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or edit any element of your page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Modify text in all headlines, bullet points, buttons, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other part of the landing page
- Change any background images or colour
- Edit the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Change content area size
- Rearrange the order of page elements
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own web pages from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change or customize any element of the page)
Transform Your WordPress Website Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your pages …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your sales pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(When visitors click on the button, they are presented with an opt-in form)
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 over a button or an image, or when someone scrolls down to a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate attention-getting elements on your pages, using a range of effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from right to left, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
User Feedback
Here are a few of the testimonials plugin customers have provided for the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
“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 – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on existing pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly on on your site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Product Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages comes with free updates, new landing pages 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 lifetime software upgrades, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, 100% money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep 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 License – This enables you to use the plugin on 1 site only. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License Edition – This license option allows you to set up the plugin on all of your personal sites. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – This license allows you to activate the plugin on all of your own websites and any client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Current pricing for Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The price above was current when this review was written. This may not be the actual pricing set by the software developer when you visit the site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest pricing information:
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 time-saving features like ready-made page elements and templates that help to speed up your content creation, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over your design process and the freedom to change and customize anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that allows you to get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Install This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you will see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, all you need to do is drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no unnecessary steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, check out the plugin here:
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