WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool to a tool being used to design all types of web pages – direct sales pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest and most straight-forward visual content editor for WordPress web sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress WYSIWYG Editor Still Meet All Of Your Page Design Needs?
With all the many advancements that the WordPress platform has undergone in recent years, many WordPress users and developers believe that using the WordPress visual content editor to create or edit more complex layouts can sometimes be difficult.
(The WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding complex layouts can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
Creating the above in your content would require entering something that looks like this inside your WordPress visual editor …
Generally, this is not really an issue … unless you need to reconfigure your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button inside box 1 from bright red to gray. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to provide non-technical users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, when creating with more complex page elements, often what you see in the WordPress content editor is not the same as what you are going to get when your content gets published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, some people argue that users would probably be better off working inside the html editor tab instead of the visual editor when trying to add non-linear layouts …
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 challenge about using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a web page using the 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 screenshot, what you see when working in the content editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that users have to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking multiple steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for your content to load.
Many WordPress developers have come up with a range of solutions with the objective of making the visual editor more intuitive. These range from WP plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to 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 combining so many page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative solutions work fine, but they still fail to address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating and adding non-linear content on a web 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 page content quickly, this can become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now that you’ve asked this question, visualize the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs fixing, just click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly changed.
- You can just drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally abstract from code.
- You have an idea for some content that you would like to create, so you just start typing, and you build your page as you go, with no delays, no switching tabs, and without waiting for edits to refresh.
Would this not be the perfect way to create content for your WordPress website? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages ”on the fly” for your web content with no 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 Visual Editor For WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content builder plugin for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of creating content on your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and an item menu that lets you drag and drop elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to your WordPress site)
The Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder 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.
Let’s take an in-depth a look at all of the above and how all of this exciting functionality works together to help you transform and improve your web site and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Creation Plugin
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be designed by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have placed your elements on the page, you can then further customize or edit them without going through additional steps or switching tabs …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you work inside beautiful landing pages that can also be easily customized …
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 effortlessly simple, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, it will ruin the experience of using any other content editor forever, and you will never look back!
For more details, visit the plugin site here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin that we have recommended on this site.
To read about this plugin, go here:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages
Below are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Ready To Start Using In Minutes
Thrive Content Builder installs just like every WP plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your WP admin area and activate.
Add And Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is very simple and intuitive to use and lets you edit 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 – fonts, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits include:
- Stunning Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements Without Using Shortcodes: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an amazing drag and drop content builder, but the plugin also includes a collection of functional and eye-catching web design elements that you can customizable and add to your pages without using short codes, such as flat design elements, content reveal feature, page section dividers, countdown timers, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for your new content to load frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build or edit your content or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily create, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, tabbed content, star ratings for review pages, dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder provides website owners many features. Here are just some of these features:
- All WordPress Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, left-aligned paragraphs, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, text boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation To Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you insert animated page content, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Template 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 lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating and customizing landing pages for your WordPress site
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content and Page Builder 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 thirty 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, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
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 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 creating 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 allows you to change and edit anything on your page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can:
- Edit text in any headline, bullet point, button, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Replace the background image and background color
- Change the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Modify content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on the pages
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any type of custom content inside the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own page templates, or even build your own library of custom landing page templates.
(Change and edit any element of your page)
Transform Your WordPress Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your site …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your web 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 …
(When visitors click on the button, they are presented with an opt-in form)
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 graphic elements, or when someone scrolls down to a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate images on your page, using various animation effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from right to left, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over your events, triggers and design.
User Feedback
Below are just a few of the testimonials and feedback 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”
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“I’m blown away by the plugin. Keep up the incredible, WordPress changing work, guys! Dean Phillips”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. 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 when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built 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 products are really well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, 100% money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Software 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 lets you configure the plugin on one web site only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This lets you activate the plugin on all domains that you personally own. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – Use on your sites and on client websites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Currently, the plugin sells for the pricing shown above. This may not be the actual price set by the product developer when you visit the site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
The Thrive Content and Landing Page 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 time-saving features like ready-made page elements and conversion-optimized template sets that help to speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you have complete control over your design process and the freedom to change and customize anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you see exactly how the content you are working on will look after publishing.
For demo videos of the plugin in action, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Get 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 will see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, visit the plugin website here:
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