WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool to a tool being used to design all types of pages – landing pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is most likely already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover how to create beautiful page layouts with drag & drop ease in WordPress web sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress Visual Editor Meet All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
With so many developments that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress users feel that the WordPress editor is more suitable for performing simple content editing than building and changing page content elements within more sophisticated layouts.
(The default WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
Adding the above to your content would require entering something that looks like this into your WordPress visual editor …
Normally, this is not an issue … until you have to change an element in the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the button in a box from green to blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the editor.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to give non-technical users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, when working with more complex layouts, what you see in the visual editor may not be the same as what you are getting when your page goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, users could even be better off working inside the WordPress html editor tab instead of the WYSIWYG editor when trying to create non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it difficult for non-technical website owners to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental challenge of having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress editor can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor resemble the content in the “front end” when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see when working in the editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to abstract what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require a number of 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 progressing, which can impact how fast you can create your content, as you wait for your page to reload.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions aiming to address this issue. These solutions range from standalone plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that come with built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions include so many 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 fail to address the fundamental issue of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 page layouts quickly, this can start to become very frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web pages?
Now, visualize the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs fixing, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content has been instantly changed.
- You can drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for an item of content you would like to add, so you simply begin typing, and your web page gets built as you go, without delays, without switching of tab browsers, and without having to wait for edits to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to create content for your WordPress site? A true visual content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex web page layouts ”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 – Create Stunning Content Faster And Beautiful Web Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Sites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag and drop content builder plugin.
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 select, then drag and drop design elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content builder to your WordPress site)
Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder 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 each of the above and how all of this powerful functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
Thrive Content Builder lets you easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your web page can be created and edited by ”clicking-to-edit” and “dragging and dropping” things around the page …
Once you have positioned elements on the page, you can continue to further customize them without going through multiple steps or opening more settings windows …
The built-in Thrive Landing Pages also lets you work inside stunning landing pages and easily customize these …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing web pages and working on content with the plugin installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers guarantee that you will never look at creating and adding content the same way once you start using it
More info: 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 for WordPress that we have recommended on this site.
See this post to read more about this plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages
Below we have listed just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Fast And Simple To Install And Configure. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any regular plugin. Just upload a zip folder that contains the plugin to your Plugin folder via your WP dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Editing
Thrive Content Builder is simple to use and lets you create content in real-time.
What You See Is Truly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the editor – typefaces, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits and advantages include the following:
- Stunning Web Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Add Customizable Elements Without Short Codes: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an amazing click-to-edit content editor, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of design elements that you can customizable and add to your layouts without using short codes, such as flat design elements, content reveal feature, page section dividers, credit card icons, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for pages to refresh 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.
(Create, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, pricing tables, feature grids, dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WordPress users many features. Below we have listed just a few:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the built-in WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, left-aligned paragraphs, font styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: 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 provides you with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, text boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web 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 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 initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages lets you easily add conversion-optimized web pages to your website)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time building landing pages for your WordPress website
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No coding skills required
- Works with all themes
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 professionally designed, web 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, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, to be able 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 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 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 stunning pre-built page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to 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 all headlines, buttons, bullet points, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other part of your landing page
- Change the background image or background color
- Edit the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Modify content area size
- Rearrange the order of web page elements
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add custom content inside any of the pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own page templates, or even build your own custom landing page templates library.
(Change and customize anything on the page templates)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin package also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your web pages …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your WordPress pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(2-step opt-in forms help to 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 their mouse over a button or an image, or when someone reaches a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate images on your web pages, using various animation effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from bottom to top, 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 all events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Below are a couple of the testimonials and feedback plugin customers have written about the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
”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”
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 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 be displayed correctly on your website.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder comes with free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive software is well-supported, and users get lifetime software upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, 100% money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product 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 Edition – This lets you configure the plugin on a single domain. Cost includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This edition lets you install the plugin on all domains that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – Use on your web sites & on client domains. It includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The cost to purchase Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the current price when this review was published. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the product developer when you visit the site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Information
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin repeatedly 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 web page elements and beautiful, pre-designed template sets that help make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the ability to edit anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, that lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer 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, do it, and you can see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, all you have to do is drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no overly complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create amazing sales pages and content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
To learn more, visit the plugin website:
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