WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that can be used to create all types of sites.
Whatever you can think of, someone is bound to be 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 And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The WordPress Editor Still Meeting All Of Your Web Design Needs?
Using the WordPress WYSIWYG editor to create or edit sophisticated layouts can be challenging, especially for non-technical users.
(The WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex layouts can be quite challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
To create the above layout, users would have to insert shortcodes into the content for each of the elements they would like to create …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you choose to edit some part of the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the button in a box from bright red to orange. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, when creating with complex content elements, often what you see on your editor screen may not be the same as 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 visual editor when trying to build non-linear page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for non-technical website owners to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental issue with having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content with WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does 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, what you see in the back end doesn’t 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 sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require a number of steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between 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 the new content to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have tried to come up with various solutions with the aim of addressing this issue. Some of these 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 include so many complex page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative solutions work, but they fail to address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating, adding and editing 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 your web pages to look “just right” quickly, this can start to become quite frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now, imagine the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs to be corrected, simply click on the content and start editing it. Your content is instantly edited.
- You can drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally visualize shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you’d like to create, so you just begin typing, and you build your web page as you go, without delays, no switching of tab browsers, and no waiting for new content to refresh.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your web site? A true WYSIWYG content 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 pages ”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 Landing Pages And Content Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a ground-breaking plugin for WordPress that gives you complete control over every aspect of your web page using a click-to-edit and drag and drop content editor.
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users 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 with a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new editor to your WordPress site)
The Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder 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 an in-depth look at each of the above and how these powerful features work seamlessly together to help you transform and improve your web site and create amazing marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
With Thrive Content Builder easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be created using “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” …
Once you have positioned elements on a page, you can then easily customize them without having to go through multiple steps or switching tabs …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you work inside stunning 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, designing web pages with Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder installed is so effortlessly easy, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, it will ruin the experience of using all other content editors forever, and 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 recommended on this site.
To read about the plugin, go here:
Plugin Benefits
Here are just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of designing pages and creating content for your site:
Quick And Easy To Install And Use. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like every other plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only really simple to use, it also lets you create and add content to your pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the editor – fonts, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Additional benefits of the plugin include:
- Attractive Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Customizable Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and an easy-to-use drag and drop content editor, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of web design elements that you can customizable and use on your layouts without using shortcodes, like columns, content reveal feature, dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for your content to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Add, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, content toggle, borderless content, call to action buttons, credit card icons, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WP users a number of features. Below we have listed just a few:
- All WordPress Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the built-in text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, paragraph centering, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Add responsive elements like column layouts, boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will resize and display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animated page content, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Sets
Landing page sets are web 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 gives you conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing and customizing pages for your site
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No coding skills required
- Works with all themes
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, page templates that are conversion-optimized and fully customizable …
(Landing page sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are currently 30+ templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the templates that are currently available, the developers plan to release new page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, in order to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either pay a web site designer to do the work, or learn web coding languages like HTML and CSS 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 building conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you beautiful pre-designed web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or edit anything on the page template …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Modify text in any button, bullet point, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Replace the background image and background colours
- Change the color of links, text, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Edit 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 in your pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own templates, or even build a custom landing pages library.
(Change and customize any aspect of your page)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Website Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully editable two-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your web pages …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Opt-in forms can increase your conversion rates.)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover 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 attention-getting elements on your page, using a range of animation effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from right to left, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
User Testimonials
Below are a couple of the testimonials and feedback plugin users have submitted for the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
“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”
Plugin Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created with the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 lifetime software upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Product 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 – This allows you to set up the plugin on a single site. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Edition – This lets you install the plugin on all of your personal web sites. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – This lets you install the plugin on all of your own domains and any client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Current pricing for Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. When we last checked, the plugin is selling for the amounts shown above. This may not be the actual price charged by the product author when you visit the site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
The developers of the Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin emphatically 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and templates that help to speed up content creation, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over the design process and the freedom to edit 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, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Download This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, you click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you’ll see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, all you have to do is 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 amazing marketing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more details, visit the plugin website:
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