WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool that is now used to create all types of web sites.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is probably already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the most intuitive WYSIWYG content editor for WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Content Editor – Is There An Easier Way For Designing Pages In WordPress?
Using the built-in WordPress editor to create or edit complex content elements can be difficult, especially for non-technical website owners.
(The WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding more complex layouts can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above content in your content would require inserting something that looks like this into your WordPress visual content editor …
Generally, this is not really an issue … unless you need to change the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the background color in box 1 from bright red to light green. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress visual content 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, if you are trying to add more complex content elements, often what you see in the visual editor is not really what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some situations, some people argue that users could even be better off working directly inside the text editor tab instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to build non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it hard for non-technical website owners to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental problem of using HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress 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” 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 doesn’t look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that users need to translate mentally what the content will look like when working with complex 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 interrupt the creative process, as you wait for your content to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have tried to come up with different solutions to address this issue. These range from WordPress plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that offer built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions combine so many complex page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these editors work fine, but they still fail to address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Adding and editing 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 your web content to look ”perfect” 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, visualize the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs to be changed, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You just drag and drop items around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally abstract from shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for some content you would like to add, so you immediately begin typing, and you build your page on the fly, without delays, without switching of tab browsers, and no waiting for new web pages to resave and reload.
Would this not be the perfect way to build content for your WordPress site? A true WYSIWYG content builder 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 without 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 – The Fastest Way To Build Stunning Web Page Layouts In WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content editor.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to speed up the process of creating content on.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content builder to your WordPress site)
The 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.
In this article we’ll take an in-depth look at each of the above plugins and how all of this functionality works together to help you transform and improve your website and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
You can easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your web page can be designed by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have placed elements on your page, you can then further edit these without having to go through additional steps or complicated configuration screens …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you build stunning landing pages and easily edit these …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that once you start using it, it will ruin the experience of using any other content editor forever, and you will never look back!
More info: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin for WordPress that we have previously written about on this site.
For more information about this plugin, see this article:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages
Here are just some of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress website:
Be Up And Running In Minutes
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any WP plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Building And Editing
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you edit and build content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – fonts, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Customizable Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an amazing click-to-edit content builder, but the plugin also includes a jaw-dropping collection of web design elements that you can customizable and use on your content layouts without using short codes, like pricing tables, borderless content, dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the content to reload frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Easily insert, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, columns, star ratings for review pages, buttons, responsive video embeds, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many features to WP users. Here are just a few:
- Built-In WordPress Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, paragraph centering, headings, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated page content, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Template 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 plugin gives you access to conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing web pages for your WordPress website
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No technical skills needed
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder not only lets you create beautiful-looking content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally 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 planned for release. In addition to the templates shown above, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template
Normally, in order to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either hire a web site 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 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 great-looking pre-designed page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or edit any element of the page templates …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Change text in any button, bullet point, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of the landing page
- Change any background images or background color
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Edit the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content inside the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change or customize any element of the page)
Thrive Lightbox – Transform Your WordPress Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin combo also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully editable 2-step opt-in forms and events to your WordPress site …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-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 …
(two-step opt-in forms help improve your conversion rates.)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form 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 attention-getting elements on your page, using a range of effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from right to left, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Here are some of the testimonials and comments users have written 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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”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”
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 on existing pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add short codes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 really well-supported, and users get lifetime upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, 100% refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep 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 allows you to activate the plugin on 1 web site only. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This allows you to configure the plugin on unlimited web sites that you own. Cost includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – Use on your domains and on client sites. Price includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase this product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Presently, the product retails for the prices shown above. This may or may not be the actual price charged by the software seller when you visit the website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for the current price here:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin repeatedly maintain 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 beautiful, pre-designed templates that help make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you have complete control over your design process and the ability to change and customize everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which allows you to get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For ”how to” videos showing how the software works, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
Install This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, you just 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, all you need to do is drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create awesome marketing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
To learn more, visit the plugin website:
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