WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool being used to create all types of websites.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest way to create stunning content in WordPress web sites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There A Faster Way For Creating Amazing-Looking Content In WordPress?
Using the built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor to build or edit sophisticated layouts can sometimes be quite difficult, especially for non-technical web site owners.
(The WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding more complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
To create the above layout, users would normally need to add shortcodes to the content for each element they would like to add to their page …
Normally, this is not an issue … until you need to reconfigure your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the button in box 1 from green to maroon. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to add complex page elements, often what you see is not exactly what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users could be better off working directly inside the html (text) editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to build complex layouts …
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 with using HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress visual editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a web page using this 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 when working in the editor doesn’t look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you have to mentally translate 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 switching browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for your new content to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have come up with various solutions with the aim of making the visual editor more intuitive. These range from standalone plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that provide built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex page layouts easier!)
Some solutions include so many complex page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative editors work fine, but they still don’t address the fundamental issue of using HTML and shortcodes 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 your content to look “just right” quickly, this can become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web content builder to behave?
Now, visualize this …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs to be changed, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content is then instantly edited.
- 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 visualize any shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific piece of content that you would like to add, so you just begin typing, and you build your web page on the fly, with no delays, with no switching tabs, and no waiting for new pages to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the ideal way to create content for your WordPress site? A true WYSIWYG editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the page?
(Imagine being able to create complex web pages ”on the fly” 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 Most Easy-To-Use Visual Editor For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a revolutionary WordPress plugin that allows you to quickly add amazing content to WordPress posts and pages with a click-to-edit and drag and drop content editor.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and incredibly easy 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 sidebar menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editor to WordPress)
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 take an in-depth a look at all of the above plugins and how all of this functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your website and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be built using “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” …
Once elements have been positioned on a page, you can then edit these without going through multiple steps or opening more settings windows …
You can also build beautiful landing pages and easily edit these …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing web pages and working on content with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that you’ll never look back once you start using it
For more details about the plugin go here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another amazing plugin for WordPress we’ve previously written about on this site.
For more information about using this plugin, go here:
Plugin Benefits
Below are just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of designing pages and creating content for your WordPress website:
Fast Installation
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any other plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your WordPress administrator login and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Creation
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you add content to your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Editor
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.
Additional benefits and advantages include:
- Attractive Web Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements Without Shortcodes: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and simple-to-use drag and drop WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of professional design elements that you can use on your web pages without using short codes, for e.g.: content toggle, star ratings for review pages, buttons, responsive maps, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or wait for the content to load 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 layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Create, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, columns, feature grids, call to action buttons, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers many powerful features to site owners. Here are just some of these features:
- All WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the regular text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, centering text, font styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you 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 Web Page Design: Add responsive columns, text boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animations, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Templates
Landing page sets are web 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 lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your web site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money building and customizing landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No technical skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content Builder 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, 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 30+ templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the existing templates, 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 Sets
Normally, in order to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web site designer to do the work, or learn how to code web pages 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 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 anything on the page template …
The landing page templates included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Edit text in any button, headline, bullet point, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Replace any background images or background color
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Modify content area size
- Rearrange the order of web page elements
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add custom content anywhere in the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build a custom landing pages library.
(Change and edit any aspect of the page templates)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your WordPress 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 animated objects to your web pages …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your sales pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can help improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, 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 their mouse over a button or an image, or when someone reaches 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 effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from top to bottom, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Below are a couple of the testimonials and comments that plugin users have submitted 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”
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 on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress short codes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly when published.
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 products are very well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that just keeps getting better.
Plugin 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 allows you to set up the plugin on one web site only. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This enables you to configure the plugin on unlimited websites that you personally own. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – This option allows you to use the plugin on all of your own web sites and your client web sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing details of the product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the price when this content was written. This may or may not be the actual price charged by the product developer when you visit the plugin site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and templates that help to make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over the design process and the ability 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 open multiple dialog boxes.
For ”how to” videos showing how the plugin works, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you’ll see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no unnecessary steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages and content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more details, visit the plugin website here:
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