WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that is now being used to design all types of web pages – marketing pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover the simplest visual content builder for WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Editor – Is There An Easier Option For Designing Pages In WordPress?
With all the rapid improvements that WordPress has undergone in recent years, many WordPress users and developers believe that using the WordPress content editor to create or edit complex page elements can sometimes be quite challenging.
(The WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding more complex page elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
Adding the above to your content would require entering something that looks like this in your default WordPress editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you choose to edit an integral aspect of your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the background color inside box 1 from dark green to gold. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
The WordPress editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, if you are working with more complex content elements, what you see on your editor screen may not be 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 directly inside the WordPress html editor tab instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to add complex page elements …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it difficult for WordPress users without coding skills to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental problem with having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress editor can be summarized by asking the following questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” 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 in the back end doesn’t 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 sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking several steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between browser tabs and performing updates to see how your content is progressing, which can impact how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for your content to reload.
A number of WordPress developers have come up with different solutions with the aim of making the visual editor more intuitive. These solutions range from WordPress plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to 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 require so many complex page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these solutions work, but they still don’t address the fundamental challenge of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating, adding and editing non-linear content 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 to create or edit complex page content quickly, this can start to become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web content editor to behave?
Now, visualize the following scenario …
- You see something in the content that needs correction so you, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly changed.
- You can just drag and drop elements around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate code.
- You have an idea for some content you’d like to create, so you immediately begin typing, and your page gets built as you go, without delays, without switching tabs, and without waiting for new web content to resave and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your web site? 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 page layouts ”on the fly” 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 Content Builder And Landing Pages – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Creator And Editor
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag-and-drop content and page creation tool for WordPress.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides you with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of creating amazing content on your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content builder to your WordPress site)
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.
We will take an in-depth look at each of the above plugins and how these powerful features work together to help you transform and improve your site and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag And Drop Content Creator
With Thrive Content Builder easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be created by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have positioned elements on your page, you can then easily edit or customize these without going through multiple steps or opening more configuration screens …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you work inside stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
More info: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin that we have previously reviewed on this site.
To read about this plugin, see this page:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder Plugin
Here are just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Installation Is Easy And Quick
Thrive Content Builder is quite easy to install. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your WP admin section and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Editing
Thrive Content Builder is really simple to use and lets you build and add content to your pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “backend” as you work within the content editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Beautiful Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Add Design Elements Without Using Shortcodes: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an amazing drag and drop content builder, but the plugin also includes a jaw-dropping collection of design elements that you can insert into your pages without using shortcodes, like columns, feature grids, testimonials, responsive videos, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you edit your content and then wait for your new content to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to build the pages your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Easily create, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, tabbed content, borderless content, call to action buttons, Google Map embeds, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder offers a number of powerful features to web site owners. Here are just some:
- All WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the regular WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, left-aligned text, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive elements like columns, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will display great on different screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated page content, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – 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 all the way from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you access to conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money building pages for your site
- 100% conversion-optimized web page templates
- No web coding skills required
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content and 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 beautifully designed, web 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 shown above, the developers plan to release new templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Completely Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, to be able to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either hire a web 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 code or use complex 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-built web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and customize anything on your page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can:
- Modify text in any bullet point, button, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Change the background image and edit color
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Modify content area size
- Change the order of page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add custom content inside the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own landing pages from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or customize any aspect of your page template)
Thrive Lightbox – Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully editable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your site …
(Add opt-in forms and events to your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
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 …
(When visitors click on the button, they are presented with an opt-in form)
Thrive Lightbox 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 images on your page, using various animation 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 web site with Thrive Lightbox)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over your events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Here are just a few of the testimonials plugin users 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 – Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on existing pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build with Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages provides free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are really well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, 100% refund 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 Edition – This enables you to run the plugin on a single web site. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This enables you to run the plugin on all of your personal web sites. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – Use on all your sites & on all your client domains. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Price details for the Thrive Content Builder product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the current price at the time this article was published. This may or may not be the actual pricing charged by the plugin 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 the current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Information
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin emphatically 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 template sets that help speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you have complete control over your design process and the freedom to edit anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, that allows you to get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
Our Recommendation …
If you want to edit something, you click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you can see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, 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 amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, check out the plugin here:
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