WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool being used to design all types of web pages – direct sales pages, portfolio pages, business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is probably already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest, most intuitive WYSIWYG content builder for WordPress sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There An Easier Option For Creating Amazing-Looking Content Layouts In WordPress?
With so many improvements that WordPress has undergone in recent years, many WordPress developers and users believe that using the default WordPress visual content editor to build or edit complex page elements can be quite challenging.
(The default WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding complex layouts can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above in a page would require adding something that looks like this in your default WordPress editor …
Normally, this is not an issue … until you choose to change an element of the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background colour inside box 2 from green to dark red. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the content editor.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to provide non-technical users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to add more complex page elements, often what you see on your editor screen may not be what you are getting when the web page gets published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some situations, you could be better off working directly with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to add something other than simple layouts …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it hard for non-technical users to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental issue about having to use HTML and shortcodes to create content with WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does 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 image, what you see in the editor does not look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that users have to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking multiple steps before you can begin 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 the new content to reload.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions to try to make content editing easier. Some of these solutions range from stand alone plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that offer built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions include so many page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these editors work, but they don’t address the fundamental issue of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating, adding and editing 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 “just right” 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, imagine the following scenario …
- You see something in the content that needs correction so you, just click on the content and start writing. Your content is then instantly changed.
- You simply drag and drop elements on the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for an item of content you’d like to create, so you just start typing, and you build your page on the fly, with no delays, with no tab switching, and without having to wait for new web content to reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to build content for your WordPress site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex web pages in real-time for your web content with no technical constraints!)
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 Landing Pages And Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag And Drop Content Creator And Editor For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content and page building plugin for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of creating great content on.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you drag and drop elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to your WordPress site)
The 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.
Let’s examine all of the above and how all of this exciting functionality works seamlessly together to help you transform and improve your web presence and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder
With this plugin installed easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your web page can be created by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have placed elements on a page, you can then edit or customize them without having to go through additional steps or switching tabs …
You can also create beautiful landing pages and easily edit these …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing web pages and working on content with the plugin installed is so effortlessly easy, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
Go here to learn more: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin for WordPress that we have previously reviewed on this site.
For more information about this plugin, go here:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages
Here are just some of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Fast And Simple To Install And Set Up. Be Up And Running In No Time.
Thrive Content Builder is really easy to install. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your WP dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is really simple to use and lets you build and add content to your pages in real-time.
What You See Is Truly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “backend” as you work within the content editor – fonts, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits and advantages include:
- Stunning Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- 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 a jaw-dropping collection of professional web design elements that you can insert into your web pages without using short codes, such as flat design elements, table of contents builder, section dividers, code insert boxes, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or wait for your new content to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily create, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, pricing tables, feature grids, page section dividers, custom HTML and CSS, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many features to website owners. Here are just a few:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the built-in WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold formatting, left-aligned 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 creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Web Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will display great on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation Events To Your Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you insert animated page elements, 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 initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin gives you conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing beautiful web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized web pages
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only can be used to create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally designed, conversion optimized page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are currently 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, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, in order to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either hire 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 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-designed web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or edit anything on the page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can:
- Change text in all headlines, buttons, bullet points, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other part of your landing page
- Change the background image and edit colours
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Modify the size of the content area
- Change the order of page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add custom content anywhere in the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build your own custom landing pages library.
(Change and customize any element of your page template)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Web Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your web pages …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your WordPress pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-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 …
(Opt-in forms can help increase 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 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 various effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from left to right, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your sales pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over your events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Below are a couple of the testimonials and comments plugin customers have written about 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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”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. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on existing pages or posts that were not created using the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Plugin Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder comes with free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive software is very well-supported, and users get unlimited software updates, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users 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 lets you configure the plugin on a single site. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License Edition – This license option lets you run the plugin on all of your personal domains. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License – Use on your domains and on all your client websites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing details of the Thrive Content Builder software depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the price when this content was published. This may or may not be the actual price charged by the product seller when you visit the site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Info
The developers of the Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made web page elements and beautiful, pre-designed templates that help to make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you have complete control over your design process and the freedom to change anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which allows you to get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For demo videos showing how the software works, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Install The 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 immediately. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no unnecessary steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, check out the plugin here:
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