WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that can be used to create all kinds of sites.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is probably already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest, most intuitive visual content builder for WordPress web sites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Editor – Is There An Easier Way For Designing Website Pages In WordPress?
With so many advancements that the WordPress platform has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers and users believe that using the default WordPress content editor to build or edit complex web site pages can be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons in a page would require entering something that looks like this into your WordPress visual content editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you have to change the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the background color in box 2 from green to dark red. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to provide users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are creating with complex page elements, what you see on your screen may not be what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, you could be better off working directly with the html source itself instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to add complex page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for WordPress users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental challenge about having to use HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above screenshot, what you see when working in the content editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you have to translate mentally what your content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking several 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 progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for pages to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions aiming to make content editing more intuitive. These range from WordPress plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that include built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions end up including so many complex page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative solutions work fine, but they still fail to address the fundamental issue of 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 your web pages to look ”perfect” 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 that you’ve asked this question, visualize this …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs fixing, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You simply drag and drop items on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for an item of content that you would like to create, so you immediately begin typing, and your web page gets built on the fly, without delays, with no tab switching, and without waiting for pages to reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your website? A true WYSIWYG content editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts ”on the fly” for your web content without 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 – The Ultimate Drag And Drop Front End Visual Editor For WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content creation tool.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you select, then drag and drop elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to WordPress)
The plugin 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 will take an in-depth look at each of the above plugins and how these exciting features work together to help you easily transform and improve your business online and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
This plugin lets you easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be created by ”clicking-to-edit” and “dragging and dropping” things around the page …
Once elements have been positioned on a page, you can then easily customize or edit these without going through additional steps or opening extra option windows …
You can also build stunning landing pages that can also be easily edited …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content 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 amazingly simple, that the developers warn that once you start using it, it’ll ruin the experience of using all other content editors forever, and you will 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 we’ve written about on this site.
To read about this plugin, see this article:
Benefits
Here we have listed just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress site:
Fast And Easy To Install And Configure. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs like any regular plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your WordPress admin account and activate.
Edit And Create Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is simple to use and lets you add content to your pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the content editor – fonts, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits include the following:
- Eye-Catching Web Page Layouts With Drag And Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Design Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a click-to-edit WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of functional and attractive design elements that you can use on your content layouts without using shortcodes, like tabbed content, content boxes, buttons, responsive maps, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you tweak your content and then wait for the updated content to reload 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 add, edit and customize web page elements like testimonial boxes, columns, content reveal feature, dividers, responsive maps, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users many features. Here are just some:
- Regular Content Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the regular WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, paragraph formatting, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of elements to your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Template Sets
Landing page template sets are web 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 lets you easily add conversion-optimized web pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating stunning web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized web pages
- No coding skills required
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, landing 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 30 templates available, with more templates planned for release. In addition to the templates shown above, the developers plan to release new page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable Landing Page Template
Normally, to be able to have a completely customizable landing page template, 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 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 great-looking pre-built pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or customize any element of the page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Change text in any button, headline, bullet point, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Change any background images or background colours
- Edit the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Modify the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of page elements
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own pages from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change and customize any element of your page template)
Transform Your WordPress Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin combo includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your web site …
(Add opt-in forms and events to your sales pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps increase your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image 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 your visitor clicks or hovers 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 images on your pages, using a range of animation effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from right to left, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Plugin Customers
Below are a few of the testimonials customers have published 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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”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”
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 with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly on your website.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin 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 software is really well-supported, and users get lifetime upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, complete money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that just keeps getting better.
Software 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 enables you to set up the plugin on a single domain. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This allows you to run the plugin on unlimited sites that you own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – This license lets you configure the plugin on all of your own sites and your client websites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing for Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Currently, the plugin is being retailed for the prices shown above. This may not be the actual price set by the product developer when you visit the product website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing details here:
Additional Info
The Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin developers repeatedly 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 web page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized templates that help make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you have complete control over the design process and the freedom to change anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, that allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For a demo video showing how the software works, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Our Recommendation …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you’ll see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, you drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web site and create amazing sales pages and content, Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, check out the plugin here:
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