WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that is now used to design all types of pages – marketing pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover the simplest way to create stunning content in WordPress.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There An Easier Option To Create And Edit Content In WordPress?
With so many developments that the WordPress platform has undergone in recent years, many WordPress developers believe that the WordPress content editor is not really suitable for building and changing complex page layouts.
(The built-in WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding more 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 in a page would require typing something like this in your WordPress content editor …
Normally, this is not really an issue … until you decide to change the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the background colour in a box from red to maroon. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to provide non-technical users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to create more complex page elements, often 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, you could even be better off working directly inside the html editor tab instead of the WYSIWYG editor when trying to add fancy page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for non-technical users to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress editor can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a web 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 in the editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to abstract what your content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking multiple steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for your updates to reload.
Many WordPress developers have come up with various solutions aiming to make content editing easier. Some of these solutions range from standalone WordPress plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress 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 end up combining so many complex page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these solutions work, but they don’t really address the fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Adding and editing 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 content to look ”perfect” quickly, this can start to become quite frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your content editor to function?
Now, visualize the following scenario …
- You see something in your content that needs correction so you, simply click on the content and start editing it. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You can drag and drop items on the page, and see them exactly as they will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for some content you’d like to add, so you immediately start typing, and your page gets built as you go, with no delays, without tab switching, and without having to wait for new pages to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect 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 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 Plugin – The Simplest, Most Intuitive WYSIWYG Editor For WordPress Web Sites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content creator.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides WordPress users with a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress web site.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content builder to WordPress)
The Thrive Content Builder 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.
Let’s examine all of the above and how all of this exciting functionality works seamlessly together to help you transform and improve your web presence and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
You can easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your web page can be configured and edited by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been added to a page, you can then easily customize or edit these without going through multiple steps or switching screens …
The built-in Thrive Landing Pages also lets you build stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages with Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
Learn more here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another terrific plugin that we have previously reviewed on this site.
For more information about using this plugin, see this page:
Benefits
Below are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Ready To Use In Minutes
Thrive Content Builder installs just like every other plugin. Simply upload it to your Plugins folder via your WordPress dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is very simple to use and lets you create and edit content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – fonts, visual elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits include:
- Add Stunning Layouts With Drag And Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Design Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an exciting and easy-to-use click-to-edit WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a jaw-dropping collection of customizable web design elements that you can customizable and insert into your web pages without using shortcodes, for e.g.: tabbed content, content boxes, dividers, responsive maps, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the new content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the web pages your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Easily insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, content toggle, feature grids, page section dividers, responsive video embeds, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides site owners a number of features. Here are just some of these features:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the built-in content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, justified text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Element Design: Add responsive columns, guarantee boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation To Your Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you insert animated content elements, 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 from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin gives you access to conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time building gorgeous landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No coding skills needed
- Works with all themes
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder not only lets you create beautiful-looking content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully 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 over 30 templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the templates shown above, 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
Typically, to be able to have completely customizable landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web developer 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 mess around with code or use overly complicated 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 beautiful pre-built web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and edit any aspect of your page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can:
- Edit text in any bullet point, headline, button, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Replace all background images or colors
- Edit the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Edit content area size
- Rearrange the order of web page elements
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add custom content inside your pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or customize anything on your page template)
Transform Your Website Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your WordPress site …
(Add lead capture forms and animated elements to your WordPress web site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can increase 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)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms 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 images on your pages, using a range of animation effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from right to left, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
Testimonials
Below are just a few of the testimonials and comments plugin customers have provided for Thrive Content Builder:
”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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“I’m blown away by the plugin. Keep up the incredible, WordPress changing work, guys! Dean Phillips”
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 that was not created with the plugin installed.
You can add shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly on the front end.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin comes with free updates, new landing templates 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 updates, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, complete money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Software Cost
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 Licensing – This enables you to install the plugin on a single web site. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This option allows you to configure the plugin on unlimited websites that you own. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – This option lets you run the plugin on all of your own domains and all client web sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The cost of purchasing the product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the current pricing when this article was published. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the product author when you visit the website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Information
The Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin developers 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 page elements and templates that help to speed up content creation, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over your design process and the ability to change anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, that allows you to see exactly how the content you are working on will display on the “front end” after publishing.
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.
Install This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, just 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 additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
To learn more, check out the plugin here:
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