WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool being used to design all types of pages – direct sales pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is probably already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you learn how to create stunning content and design beautiful web page layouts with drag & drop ease in WordPress websites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There An Easier Tool To Design Pages In WordPress?
Using the built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor to build or edit complex website pages can sometimes be challenging.
(The WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding more complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, users would need to insert short codes into the content for every element they would like to add to their page …
Generally, this is not an issue … unless you need to reconfigure your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or change the button in box 3 from red to light blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to give non-technical users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, when working with more complex page elements, what you see on your screen may not be what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some situations, you could be better off working directly with the html source itself instead of the visual editor when trying to build 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 of 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 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 back end 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 multiple steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between browser tabs and performing updates to see how your content is coming along, which can affect how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for your page to refresh.
A number of WordPress developers have come up with different solutions with the objective of addressing this issue. Some of these solutions range from stand alone plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP 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 requiring so many page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they still 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 very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web page editor to work?
Now that you’ve asked this question, visualize this …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs to be fixed, simply click on the content and start changing it. 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 visualize shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for some content you’d like to add, so you just start typing, and your web page gets built as you go, with no delays, with no switching tabs, and without waiting for pages to reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to create content for your site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the page?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts quickly 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 And Page Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag-and-drop content and landing page builder for WordPress.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding great content to WordPress web sites.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you select, then drag and drop elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editor to WordPress)
Thrive Content Builder 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.
Let’s examine all of the above plugins and how these features work together to help you transform and improve your website and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
You can easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your page can be built by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have positioned your elements on the page, you can then further customize or edit them without having to go through multiple steps or complicated option screens …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you work inside beautiful 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 pages with the plugin installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, you’ll 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 terrific plugin that we have previously reviewed on this site.
For more information about using the plugin, go here:
Benefits
Here we have listed just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Really Easy To Install
Thrive Content Builder installs just like every plugin. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your admin section and activate.
Create & Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple to use, it also lets you build and add content to your web pages in real-time.
What You See Is Really 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 plugin benefits include the following:
- Attractive Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Design Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get a visually exciting click-to-edit content editor, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of functional and attractive design elements that you can insert into your web pages without using short codes, like tabbed content, borderless content, dividers, code insert boxes, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff for pages to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build or edit your content or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonial boxes, pricing tables, content boxes, buttons, responsive videos, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users many unique features. Here are just some of these features:
- All WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the built-in WordPress content editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, paragraph formatting, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will display great on different screens.
- Add Animation Events To Your Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you add animations, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Templates
Landing page sets are 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 plugin lets you add conversion-optimized web pages to your website)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized web pages
- No technical 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 beautifully designed, landing 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 over thirty templates available, with more templates scheduled for release. In addition to the existing templates, 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
Typically, to be able to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web site developer 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 building conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you attractive pre-built pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and customize any element of the page …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Modify text in any button, bullet point, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change any background images or background colour
- Change the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Change the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of elements on your pages
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add custom content inside the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change and customize any aspect of your page)
Transform Your Website Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin combo also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your web site …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your WordPress site with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a two-step opt-in process)
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 an image, or when someone reaches a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate attention-getting elements on your web pages, using a range of effects (e.g. zoom in from the page center, slide in from right to left, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your marketing pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over your events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Below are just some testimonials that plugin customers have published about the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
”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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”Great stuff! I am really impressed by all the new additions. You guys have shown a true commitment to making these themes and the Content Builder awesome. Michael Johnson”
Plugin Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, 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 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 you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin comes with free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive plugins are really well-supported, and users get lifetime software updates, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps 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 lets you install the plugin on a single website. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This license option enables you to configure the plugin on unlimited domains that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – Use on all your web sites and on all your client web sites. Price includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The price of the Thrive Content Builder plugin can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The above reflects the current pricing at the time this article was published. This may not be the actual pricing set by the software developer 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 Info
The developers of the Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made web page elements and template sets that help to speed up content design, and on the other hand, you have complete control over the design process and the ability to change anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated steps.
For ”how-to” videos showing plugin usage, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Our Recommendation …
If you want to edit something, you just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you’ll see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no overly complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, visit the plugin website here:
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