WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool being used to create all types of sites.
Whatever you can think of, someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest way to create stunning content and beautiful page layouts in your WordPress website.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Content Editor – Is There An Easier Option To Design Pages In WordPress?
Using the default WordPress content editor to create or edit sophisticated web site pages can sometimes be difficult, especially for non-technical users.
(The WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding more complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, you would normally have to add shortcodes to the content for each of the elements you want to display …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you have to reconfigure the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the background color inside a box from green to maroon. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the content editor.
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) content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to add complex content elements, often what you see in the visual editor is not what you are getting when the web page is published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, users could even be better off working directly inside the text editor tab instead of the visual editor when trying to build something other than simple page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for non-technical website owners to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue with using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized by asking the following questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a page using the 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 screenshot, what you see in the editor does not look anything like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for the updates to load.
Many WordPress web developers have tried to come up with a range of solutions with the objective of addressing this issue. Some of these solutions range from standalone plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP 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 requiring so many page design 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 issue 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 your page content to look ”perfect” quickly, this can become very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your pages?
Now that you’ve asked this question, 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 editing it. Your content is instantly changed.
- You can just drag and drop items on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally visualize any shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content you’d like to add, so you simply begin typing, and your web page gets built on the fly, with no delays, with no tab switching, and no waiting for new web pages to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your WordPress web site? A true visual editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex web page layouts ”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 – The Simplest, Most Intuitive Visual Content Builder For WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a unique plugin for WordPress that gives you total control over every aspect of your content pages using true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to your WordPress site)
Thrive Content And Landing Page 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.
We’ll take an in-depth look at each of the above and how all of this exciting functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your web presence and create awesome marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be designed using simple “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” …
Once elements have been added to a page, you can then continue to edit or customize them without having to go through multiple steps or complicated configuration windows …
You can also create beautiful landing pages that can also be easily edited …
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 Thrive Content and Page Builder installed is so effortlessly easy, that the developers guarantee that you will never look back once you start using it
For more details about this plugin go here: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin that we have reviewed on this site.
Go here for more information about using the plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Here are just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Fast And Simple To Install And Implement. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any other WP plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your admin section and activate.
Real-Time Content Building & Editing
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you edit 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 content editor – typefaces, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include:
- Add Eye-Catching Web Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Add Customizable Elements Without Using Short Codes: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and simple-to-use click-to-edit content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of customizable web design elements that you can add to your layouts without using shortcodes, for e.g.: pricing tables, table of contents builder, call to action buttons, responsive Google maps, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or wait for the updates to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the web pages your business needs, quickly and without having to mess with code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Add, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, flat design elements, styled lists, dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WP users a number of features. Below we have listed just a few of these:
- Regular WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the built-in text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, left-aligned paragraphs, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, text boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will display great on all different kinds of devices.
- Add Animation To Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animated page elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Template Sets
Landing page sets are templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language to take your visitors all the way from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin gives you conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating gorgeous pages for your site
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with all themes
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 professionally designed, conversion optimized web page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are 30+ templates available, with more templates scheduled for future release. In addition to the available templates, the developers plan to release new web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template
Typically, in order to have a completely customizable landing page template, you would need to either hire a web 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 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 and edit any aspect of your page template …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Edit text in all headlines, buttons, bullet points, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of the landing page
- Change all background images or colors
- Change the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Change content area size
- Change the order of web page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own pages from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change and edit anything on your page templates)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your content pages …
(Add lead capture forms and animated elements to your WordPress web site with Thrive Lightbox)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps to improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button 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 opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover their mouse over a button or an image, or when someone scrolls down to 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. fade out, slide in from bottom to top, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over your events, triggers and design.
User Feedback
Below are a few of the testimonials users have provided for 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”
***
“I’m blown away by the plugin. Keep up the incredible, WordPress changing work, guys! Dean Phillips”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on existing pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly on your website.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Plugin Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder 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 software is very well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Plugin Cost
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 Licensing – This lets you configure the plugin on a single web site. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This allows you to install the plugin on unlimited sites that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – This license allows you to activate the plugin on all of your own sites and all client websites. Price includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The cost of purchasing Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Presently, the software retails for the prices shown above. This may or may not be the actual price set by the plugin author when you visit the website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Info
The Thrive Landing Pages and Content 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 web page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized templates that help to speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over your 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 see how the content you are working on will appear to visitors when published.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Get This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, you just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you will see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, you drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, check out the plugin here:
***
