WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that can be used to design all types of web pages – direct sales pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest and most easy-to-use visual editor for WordPress.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The Default WordPress Visual Editor Meeting All Of Your Content Creation Needs?
With all the rapid advancements that the WordPress platform has undergone in recent years, many WordPress users and developers feel that using the WordPress WYSIWYG editor to create or edit more complex web pages can sometimes be quite challenging.
(The default WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding more complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above layout, you would normally need to add shortcodes to the content for each of the elements you want to add to your page …
Generally, this is not an issue … unless you choose to reconfigure the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or change the button in box 2 from bright red to orange. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress 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, if you are trying to add complex page elements, what you see in the visual editor is not 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 be better off working directly inside the WordPress text editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to add non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it hard for non-technical users to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental issue about having to use HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress visual editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a web page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” resemble the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above screenshot, what you see when working in the back end doesn’t look at all like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching tabs and performing updates to see how your content is coming along, which can impact how fast you can create your content, as you wait for the updated content to load.
Many WordPress developers have come up with a range of solutions to try to address this issue. These solutions range from standalone plugins you can add to 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 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. 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 ”perfect” quickly, this can become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your page builder to function?
Now, imagine this …
- You spot something in your content that needs to be corrected so you, simply click on the content and start writing. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You 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 translate HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you’d like to add, so you immediately start typing, and you build your page as you go, without delays, without switching tabs, and without waiting for edits to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to create content for your WordPress web site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages in real-time for your web content with no 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 – Create Stunning Content And Beautiful Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Web Sites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag-and-drop content and landing page building plugin for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and incredibly easy way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to WordPress)
The Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages 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.
Let’s review all of the above and how all of this exciting functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your web site and create awesome sales pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
This plugin lets you easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your web page can be configured with “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” ease …
Once elements have been positioned on your page, you can then further edit or customize them without having to go through additional steps or switching screens …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you work inside 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 Thrive Content Builder installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers guarantee that you’ll never look at creating content the same way once you start using it
Learn more about this plugin here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another amazing plugin we’ve written about on this site.
See this page to read about the plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder Plugin
Below are just some of the many benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress web site:
Fast And Simple To Install And Use. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder is very easy to install. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your WordPress administrator 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 build and add content right inside your web pages 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 – fonts, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits and advantages include the following:
- Add Attractive Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements Without Using Short Codes: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an amazing click-to-edit WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of professional web design elements that you can customizable and add to your content layouts without using shortcodes, for e.g.: tabbed content, content reveal feature, call to action buttons, responsive Google maps, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to wait for for your updated content to reload frees up your attention and allows you to build the content your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily add, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, pricing tables, content reveal feature, page section dividers, responsive maps, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides a number of powerful features to WordPress users. Below we have listed just some:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress content editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, centering text, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help you increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Web Page Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on different screens.
- Add Animation To Your Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animation in buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Templates
Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of 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 access to conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating beautiful web pages for your website
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No technical skills needed
- Works with any theme
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder not only can be used to 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 currently 30+ templates available, with more templates planned for future release. In addition to the templates that are currently available, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, to be able to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either hire a web 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 creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you beautiful pre-designed web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and customize any aspect of your page template …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Change text in all headlines, buttons, bullet points, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Replace all background images and edit color
- Change the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Edit content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on the pages
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content in the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own landing pages from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change and edit anything on your page template)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and events to your pages …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your WordPress pages with Thrive Lightbox)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can help improve 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 can improve 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 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 animation effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from bottom to top, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your sales pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over all events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Here are some of the testimonials that plugin users 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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”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”
Thrive Content Builder – 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 that was not created with the plugin installed.
You can add short codes 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.
Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder Plugin provides free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are very well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, complete money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Product 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 Edition – This license option allows you to install the plugin on 1 site only. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This lets you configure the plugin on all of your personal web sites. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – This license option lets you configure the plugin on all of your own websites and your client web sites. Cost includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The cost of purchasing this product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The price shown above was correct when this review was written. This may not be the actual price charged by the plugin developer when you visit the website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Information
The Thrive Content and Landing Page 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 template sets that help make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the freedom to change everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which lets you see exactly how the content you are working on will appear after being published.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Get The Plugin …
If you want to edit something, you just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you will see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create awesome 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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