WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that can be used to create all kinds of websites.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the most intuitive way to build stunning content in WordPress.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress Visual Editor Still Meet All Of Your Web Design Needs?
Using the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor to build or edit sophisticated page elements can be quite difficult.
(The built-in WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and media, but adding complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
Adding the above to your content would require entering something that looks like this inside your default WordPress visual editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you have to reconfigure your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 1 from dark green to light green. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress editor is supposed to provide non-technical users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, when creating with complex page elements, what you see on your screen is not really what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, some people argue that users could even be better off working directly with the html source itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to create non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for non-technical users to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue with 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 this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” resemble 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 content editor doesn’t look anything like what you see in the front end. This means that users have to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require multiple 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 coming along, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for the updated content to reload.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with different solutions aiming to make the visual editor more intuitive. Some of these alternative solutions range from standalone plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP 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 requiring so many page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work fine, but they still fail to address the fundamental challenge of using shortcodes and HTML 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 start to become very frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web content builder to function?
Now, imagine this …
- You see something in the content that needs fixing so you, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content is then instantly fixed.
- You can just drag and drop elements on the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for some content you would like to create, so you immediately start typing, and you build your web page on the fly, without delays, with no tab switching, and no waiting for new web pages to resave and reload.
Would that not be the ideal way to create content for your WordPress web site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex 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 Landing Pages And Content Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content and page creator and editor for WordPress.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress web site.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a menu that lets you drag and drop design elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new editor to your WordPress site)
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.
In this article we’ll take an in-depth look at each of the above plugins and how all of this functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be built with ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” ease …
Once you have placed elements on a page, you can continue to further edit these without having to go through additional steps or complicated option screens …
You can also work inside stunning 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, working on content with Thrive Content and Page Builder installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
Go here to learn more about the plugin: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another terrific plugin we’ve previously written about on this site.
To read more about this plugin, go here:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages Plugin
Below are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress website:
Installation Is Easy And Simple
Thrive Content Builder installs like every other WP plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your admin user section and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Creation
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple to use, it also lets you create content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the editor – typefaces, 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 Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Design Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an amazing click-to-edit content editor, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of web design elements that you can customizable and add to your pages without using short codes, like content toggle, guarantee boxes, section dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you tweak your content and then wait for the page to load frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build content or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Easily insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, tabbed content, content reveal feature, call to action buttons, responsive videos, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users a number of great features. Below we have listed just a few:
- Regular Content Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, paragraph centering, headings and font sizes, 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 editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Element Design: Add responsive elements like columns, text boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animated content elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing gorgeous-looking landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No web coding skills required
- Works with any theme
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 beautifully 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 currently 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 And Flexible Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, in order to fully customize a 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 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 attractive pre-designed web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or customize any element of the page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Edit text in any bullet point, headline, button, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change any background images and edit colours
- Edit the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Change content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on your pages
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any type of custom content anywhere in the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own page templates, or even build a library of custom landing page templates.
(Change and customize any aspect of the page template)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Website Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin combo includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your web site …
(Add opt-in forms and animated elements to your marketing pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-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)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form appear when your visitor clicks or hovers their mouse 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 attention-getting elements on your pages, using a range of animation effects (e.g. zoom in from the page center, slide in from left to right, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
User Feedback
Below are some of the testimonials that plugin users have provided 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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“I’m blown away by the plugin. Keep up the incredible, WordPress changing work, guys! Dean Phillips”
Plugin Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, 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.
You can add short codes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
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 very well-supported, and users get lifetime software updates, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, complete 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 license enables you to set up the plugin on a single site. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This license option lets you run the plugin on all of your personal websites. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – This license option enables you to install the plugin on all of your own web sites and your client web sites. Cost includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Current pricing for this product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The price above was current when this review was written. This may or may not be the actual pricing charged by the software seller when you visit the plugin site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder 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 time-saving features like ready-made page elements and templates that help make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you have complete control over the design process and the ability to change anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which allows you to get things done without having to open multiple dialog boxes.
For demo videos of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the plugin 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 immediately. 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 awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content and Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more details, visit the plugin website here:
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