WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that can be used to design all types of pages – direct sales pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest way to build stunning layouts in WordPress.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress Editor Still Meet All Of Your Web Design Needs?
With all the many improvements that WordPress has undergone in recent years, many WordPress users believe that the WordPress editor is not really suitable for building or changing sophisticated web page layouts.
(The WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and media, but adding more complex layouts can be quite 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 into your WordPress visual editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you decide to reconfigure the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the button in a box from red to purple. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
The WordPress content 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 more complex page elements, often what you see on your editor screen may not be what you are going to get when your page gets published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users would probably be better off working directly with the html source itself instead of the visual editor when trying to create complex layouts …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue about having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build 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, what you see when working in the content editor does not look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you need to translate mentally what your content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require a number of steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between tabs and performing updates to see how your content is coming along, which then affects how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for the new content to refresh.
Many WordPress developers have tried to come up with different solutions to try to make the visual editor easier. Some of these 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 layouts easier!)
Some solutions include so many complex page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative solutions work, but they don’t address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 ”perfect” 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 builder to work?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine the following …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs to be changed, just click on the content and start typing. Your content is then instantly edited.
- You can just drag and drop elements around the page, and see them exactly as they will appear on the front end without having to mentally visualize shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific piece of content that you’d like to create, so you immediately start typing, and your page gets built on the fly, with no delays, without tab switching, and without having to wait for new web content to republish and reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your web site? A true WYSIWYG content editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex web page layouts in real-time for your web content with no 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 – Create Beautiful Web Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a unique plugin for WordPress that gives you total control over every aspect of your content layout using true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides you with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding content to your WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you click, then drag and drop elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editor to your WordPress site)
Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder 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 all of the above plugins and how these exciting features work together to help you transform and improve your web site and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag And Drop Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder lets you easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element on your web page can be configured using ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” …
Once you have positioned your elements on your page, you can then further edit or customize these without having to go through multiple steps or opening new configuration screens …
You can also create beautiful landing pages and easily edit these …
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with the plugin installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that you will never look back once you start using it
For more details about this plugin go here: 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 recommended on this site.
To learn more about using this plugin, go here:
Benefits
Here we have listed just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Quick And Easy To Install And Configure. Be Up And Running In No Time.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any regular plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your WordPress dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you build content in real-time.
What You See Is Truly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the editor – typefaces, visual elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits of using the plugin include:
- Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Customizable Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an amazing drag and drop WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of design elements that you can customizable and use on your web pages without using shortcodes, for e.g.: flat design elements, feature grids, buttons, custom HTML and CSS, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the content to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Easily create, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, content toggle, table of contents builder, page section dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder offers a number of powerful features to WordPress users. Below we have listed just a few of these:
- Built-In WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the built-in content editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold formatting, left-aligned text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Add responsive columns, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you add animated content elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Sets
Landing page template sets are 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 plugin provides you with conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing beautiful web pages for your WordPress website
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No coding skills required
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally designed, conversion optimized landing page templates and fully customizable …
(Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of templates 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 shown above, the developers plan to release new templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, 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 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 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 attractive pre-designed web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and customize any aspect of the page template …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Modify text in any bullet point, button, headline, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change any background images or colors
- Change the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Change content area size
- Change the order of page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add custom content in the pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own page templates, or even build your own custom landing pages library.
(Change and customize any aspect of the page templates)
Transform Your Website Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully editable two-step opt-in forms and events to your web pages …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your sales pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox 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 …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a 2-step opt-in process)
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 pages, using various effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from bottom to top, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web 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.
Testimonials From Plugin Customers
Below are a few of the testimonials and feedback that plugin customers have provided for Thrive Content Builder:
“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”
***
”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”
Thrive Content Builder – Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created using the plugin.
You can add shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly on your website.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using 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 software is very well-supported, and users get lifetime upgrades, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that just keeps getting better.
Product 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 option allows you to set up the plugin on a single site. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Edition – This allows you to use the plugin on all web sites that you own. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – Use on your websites and on client domains. Cost includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: Price details for the Thrive Content Builder plugin can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the current price at the time this review was published. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the software seller when you visit the product 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 emphatically 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 time-saving features like ready-made web page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized templates that help to make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over your design process and the freedom to change and customize everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Download This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you can 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 website and create awesome marketing pages and content, Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For full details, visit the plugin website here:
***