WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool that can be used to design all types of web pages – marketing pages, portfolio pages, business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the ultimate click-to-edit front end content editor for WordPress sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress Editor Meet All Of Your Web Design Needs?
Using the built-in WordPress content editor to create or edit sophisticated content elements can be quite challenging.
(The default WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and images, but adding more complex layouts can be quite challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
To add the above content to your content would require inserting something that looks like this into the WordPress visual editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you have to reconfigure your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background colour in box 3 from bright red to blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to create more complex content elements, what you see may not be what you are going to get when the 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 could even be better off working directly inside the WordPress html (text) editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to create something other than simple page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue with having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized by asking two questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above screenshot, what you see in the content editor doesn’t look anything like what you see in the front end. This means that users need to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require a number of steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing updates to see how your content is progressing, which can affect how fast you can create your content, as you wait for your content to reload.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with different solutions aiming to address 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 offer 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 complex page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these editors work fine, but they fail to address the fundamental problem with using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Adding and editing sophisticated content elements 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 quite frustrating after a while.
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 see something that needs to be fixed, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly fixed.
- You just drag and drop items on the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate any shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you would like to add, so you immediately begin typing, and you build your web page as you go, without delays, with no switching tabs, and no waiting for pages to refresh.
Would this not be the ideal way to build content for your website? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages ”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 – Create Stunning Content Faster And Beautiful Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content builder plugin.
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of creating amazing content on.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to WordPress)
The plugin is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins merged into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
In this article we’ll take a 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 sales pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be created and edited by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been positioned on the page, you can then further edit these without going through multiple steps or switching tabs …
You can also work inside highly attractive landing pages and easily edit these …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages and working on content with the plugin installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that you’ll never look at creating content the same way once you start using it
Learn more about this plugin here: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin that we have previously written about on this site.
To read more about the plugin, go here:
Plugin Benefits
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 any plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your WordPress administrator area and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple to use, it also lets you edit and add content right inside your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Add Design Elements Without Using Shortcodes: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an exciting and an easy-to-use drag and drop content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of functional and eye-catching web design elements that you can customizable and insert into your content layouts without using short codes, like pricing tables, content reveal feature, dividers, responsive maps, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for your content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the pages your business needs, quickly and without having to mess with code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Easily create, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, content toggle, guarantee boxes, dividers, countdown timers, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many features to website owners. Here are just a few:
- All Content Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the regular WordPress content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, paragraph centering, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of elements to your post or page screen for creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes various eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Element Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display correctly on different device 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 Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Sets
Landing page sets are web page 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 gives you access to conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating beautiful-looking web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No tech skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only can be used to create beautiful 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 …
(Landing page 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, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable And Flexible 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 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-built page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or edit anything on your page template …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Modify text in any bullet point, button, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change the background image and edit colours
- Edit the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Edit content area size
- Change the order of elements on your pages
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add custom content anywhere in your pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own page templates, or even build your own library of custom landing pages.
(Change and edit any element of the page templates)
Transform Your Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your site …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Visitors click on a button and 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 effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from left to right, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over your events, triggers and design.
User Testimonials
Below are just a few of the testimonials plugin 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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”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”
Thrive Content Builder – 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 on existing pages or posts that were not created using the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder provides 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 well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that just keeps getting better.
Product 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 Edition – This edition allows you to activate the plugin on a single domain. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This allows you to set up the plugin on all sites that you personally own. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – Use on your web sites and on all your client web sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Current pricing for Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Currently, the plugin retails for the amounts shown above. This may or may not be the actual pricing set by the software seller when you visit the product site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing:
Additional Info
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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and conversion-optimized template sets that help to make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over your design process and the ability to change and customize everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you work unhindered by overly complicated steps.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive website.
Install This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, you click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you will see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, all you have to do is simply drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online 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 full details, check out the plugin here:
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