WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that is now 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 ultimate click-to-edit front end visual content editor for WordPress sites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Editor – Is There An Easier Tool For Designing Pages In WordPress?
Using the default WordPress editor to create or edit sophisticated web site pages can sometimes be difficult, especially for non-technical WordPress users.
(The default WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and media, but adding more complex content elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons in a page would require inserting something that looks like this into the WordPress visual editor …
Normally, this is not an issue … unless you need to reconfigure the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the button in box 2 from green to gold. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to provide users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, when creating with more complex layouts, what you see on your editor screen is not the same as what you are getting when the page goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, some people argue that users would probably be better off working directly inside the WordPress html (text) editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to add non-linear page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for WordPress site owners without knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental problem of having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized by asking 2 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 resemble the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above screenshot, what you see in the editor doesn’t look anything 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 several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for for your updated content to reload.
Many WordPress developers have come up with various solutions to try and make the visual editor more intuitive. Some of these solutions range from standalone WP 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 page 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 address the fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 layouts quickly, this can become very frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your content builder to work?
Now, imagine the following …
- You spot something in your content that needs fixing so you, just click on the content and start changing it. Your content is then instantly edited.
- You just drag and drop items on the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate any shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you would like to add, so you just begin typing, and you build your web page on the fly, without delays, without switching tabs, and without having to wait for new web content to resave and reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your site? A true WYSIWYG content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages quickly 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 Plugin – The Ultimate Drag And Drop Front End Visual Editor For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content and landing page creation plugin for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users with a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of creating content on.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and an item menu that lets you drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editor to your WordPress site)
Thrive Content And Landing Page Builder 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 and how all of this exciting functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your business online and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag And Drop Content Editing Plugin For WordPress
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every element on your web page can be built by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been added to the page, you can continue to further customize these without having to go through additional steps or complicated settings screens …
The built-in Thrive Landing Pages also lets you work inside beautiful landing pages that can also be easily customized …
Thrive Content and Page Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing web pages with the plugin installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers warn that you will never look back once you start using it
More info: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin for WordPress that we have previously written about on this site.
To read about the plugin, go here:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder
Below we have listed just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your site:
Quick And Easy To Install And Implement. Ready To Start Using In No Time.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any WP plugin. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your WordPress admin user section and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is simple to use and lets you build and add content to your pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back-end” as you work within the editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits and advantages include:
- Add Eye-Catching 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 an exciting and easy-to-use 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 use on your web pages without using short codes, like columns, feature grids, dividers, responsive videos, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff for pages to reload frees up your attention and allows you to build the content your business needs, quickly and without having to deal with code or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Easily create, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, pricing tables, feature grids, call to action buttons, credit card icons, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers site owners a number of features. Below we have listed just a few:
- Built-In WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the built-in WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold formatting, left-aligned text, font styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of elements to your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like columns, guarantee boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Your Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated content elements, 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 all the way from signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages provides you with conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No web coding skills required
- Works with all themes
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 …
(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 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.
Completely Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Typically, to be able to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web designer 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 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 creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you great-looking pre-designed web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or edit any aspect of your page …
The landing page templates included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Change text in any button, headline, bullet point, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change the background image and background colors
- Edit the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Edit the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of web page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere in your pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own pages from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change and edit anything on the page)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your website …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Visitors click on a button and are presented with an opt-in form)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form appear when your visitor clicks or hovers their mouse 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 web pages, using a range of animation effects (e.g. zoom in, slide in from left to right, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Here are a couple of the testimonials that customers have written about 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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”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”
Useful 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 that was 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 built using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages provides free updates, new landing templates 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 one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep getting better.
Product Price
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 option allows you to install the plugin on a single web site. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Edition – This allows you to set up the plugin on all of your personal web sites. Cost includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – Use on all your domains & on all your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing for Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The above reflects the current price when this article was written. This may or may not be the actual price charged by the plugin developer when you visit the product website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing details here:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Content and Page Builder 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made web page elements and templates that help to make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over the design process and the freedom to change and customize everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For a demo video showing how the software works, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
In Conclusion …
If you want to edit something, you 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 drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web site 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 full details, check out the plugin here:
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