WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that can be used to design all types of web pages – direct sales pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, someone is probably already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the ultimate click-to-edit front end editor for WordPress websites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress Visual Content Editor Meet All Of Your Page Design Needs?
Using the built-in WordPress content editor to create or edit sophisticated layouts can be quite difficult, especially for non-technical users.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, 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 a page would require entering something like this into your WordPress visual content editor …
Generally, this is not really an issue … until you want to change an element in the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 3 from green to gray. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
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, when creating with complex layouts, what you see may not be what you are getting when the web page goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users may even be better off working inside the WordPress text editor tab instead of the visual editor when trying to create fancy page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it difficult for non-technical website owners to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue of using 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 editor match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above, what you see when working in the editor does not look at all like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching tabs and performing updates to see how your content is coming along, which then affects how fast you can create your content, as you wait for your updated content to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have come up with different solutions with the goal of addressing this issue. Some of these alternative solutions range from standalone plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that provide 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 page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these editors work, but they don’t really address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Adding and editing 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 layouts quickly, this can become quite frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now, imagine this …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs to be fixed, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content is then instantly fixed.
- You can 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 item of content you would like to create, so you immediately begin typing, and your page gets built as you go, without delays, without tab switching, and no waiting for edits to refresh and reload.
Would this not be the perfect way to build 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 your pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts ”on the fly” 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 – The Simplest And Most Straight-Forward WYSIWYG Content Builder For WordPress Sites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a ground-breaking WordPress plugin that lets website owners easily add beautiful content to WordPress posts and pages using true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and incredibly easy way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content builder to WordPress)
The Thrive Landing Pages And 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.
We will take a look at each of the above and how all of this functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your business online and create awesome sales pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag And Drop Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
With Thrive Content Builder easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your web page can be designed and changed with “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” ease …
Once elements have been positioned on your page, you can continue to further customize or edit these without going through additional steps or complicated configuration windows …
You can also create beautiful landing pages that can also be easily edited …
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 the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll 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 fantastic plugin that we have reviewed on this site.
Go here to read about the plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages
Below we have listed just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Quick Installation
Thrive Content Builder installs just like every other plugin. Simply upload it to your Plugins folder via your WordPress admin user area and activate.
Real-Time Content Building & Editing
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple to use, it also lets you build and add content right inside your pages in real-time.
What You See Is Exactly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the content editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Add Beautiful Web Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Add Customizable Elements With No Short Codes Required: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get a drag and drop content editor, but the plugin also includes a collection of functional and eye-catching design elements that you can customizable and add to your layouts without using shortcodes, like pricing tables, borderless content, call to action buttons, responsive maps, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you tweak your content and then wait for the updated content to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build or edit your content or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, tabbed content, star ratings for review pages, dividers, responsive video embeds, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder offers website owners many features. Below we have listed just some of these features:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the regular content editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, centering text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements to your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help you increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Web Element Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, guarantee boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you insert animated images, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin gives you conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating and customizing web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No tech skills needed
- Works with all WordPress 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 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 currently 30+ templates available, with more templates planned for future release. In addition to the available templates, the developers plan to release new page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template
Normally, to be able to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either hire a web site developer 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 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 building 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 or customize any element of your page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Edit text in any headline, button, bullet point, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Change any background images and edit colors
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Modify content area size
- Change the order of elements on the pages
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add custom content anywhere in any of the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build your own library of custom landing pages.
(Change or customize any element of your page)
Transform Your WordPress Website Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully editable 2-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your web site …
(Add lead capture forms and animated elements to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps to increase your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Opt-in forms can increase your conversion rates.)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover over a button or graphic elements, or when someone reaches a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate images on your page, using a range of animation effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from top to bottom, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your marketing pages with Thrive Lightbox)
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
Below are just some testimonials and feedback that users have published about Thrive Content Builder:
”You guys are simply awesome I am loving everything you are doing at the moment. Keep up the great work you really are making such a big difference in this field. Jule Fuller”
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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”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly on the front end.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder 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 very well-supported, and users get lifetime updates, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Plugin 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 allows you to configure 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 allows you to use the plugin on unlimited sites that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License – Use on your sites & on client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost of purchasing Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. When we last checked, the software retails for the pricing shown above. This may not be the actual price charged by the software seller when you visit the product website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest pricing details:
Additional Info
The Thrive Content Builder plugin developers 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 beautiful, pre-designed template sets that help speed up content creation, and on the other hand, you have complete control over your design process and the freedom to edit anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including installation instructions 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, you can see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create awesome sales pages and engaging content, Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, visit the plugin website:
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