WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that can be used to create all types of sites.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is most likely already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest way to create beautiful web page layouts in WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress Editor Still Meet All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
With all the rapid improvements that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers and users feel that using the default WordPress content editor to create or edit more complex web site pages can be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex page elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
Adding the above page elements would require inserting something that looks like this inside your WordPress editor …
Typically, this is not an issue … until you decide to edit an integral aspect of the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in a box from green to gold. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress visual content editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to create complex layouts, what you see in the WordPress visual 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 instances, you would probably be better off working inside the WordPress html (text) editor tab instead of the visual editor when trying to build complex page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for WordPress users with no coding skills to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue about using shortcodes and HTML to create content with WordPress can be summarized by asking two questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see in the back end looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to translate mentally what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require several steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for the updates to reload.
A number of WordPress developers have tried to come up with different solutions to try and address this issue. Some of these solutions range from 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 creating complex page layouts easier!)
Some solutions end up combining so many complex 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 issue of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Adding and editing sophisticated content elements 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 to create or edit complex page layouts quickly, this can start to become really frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your page editor to function?
Now, visualize 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 writing. Your content has been instantly fixed.
- 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 translate shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for an item of content you would like to add, so you simply start typing, and your page gets built on the fly, with no delays, without tab switching, and no waiting for edits to resave and reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your website? A true WYSIWYG 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 – Create Stunning Content And Beautiful Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a unique WordPress plugin that allows you to quickly build stunning content pages with true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of adding amazing content to WordPress websites.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a sidebar menu that lets you drag and drop design elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option 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 combined into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
We’ll cover all of the above plugins and how all of this functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be built with “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” ease …
Once elements have been added to the page, you can then edit or customize these without having to go through multiple steps or switching tabs …
You can also build beautiful landing pages that can also be easily edited …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages with the plugin installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
Go here to learn more: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin we’ve recommended on this site.
To read more about this plugin, see this post:
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 designing pages and creating content for your WordPress web site:
Ready To Start Using In No Time
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any other plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Editing
Thrive Content Builder is is not only really simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you edit and add content right inside your pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “backend” as you work within the editor – typefaces, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Additional benefits of using the plugin include the following:
- Add Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Add Customizable Elements With No Short Codes Involved: 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 a jaw-dropping collection of customizable design elements that you can customizable and insert into your web pages without using short codes, like flat design elements, star ratings for review pages, section dividers, responsive Google map embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the content your business needs, quickly and without having to mess with code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, columns, content reveal feature, buttons, countdown timers, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides WP users many features. Here are just a few:
- Regular WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the built-in WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, paragraph centering, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with various 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 customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, text boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you create animated page elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin gives you access to conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing beautiful-looking pages for your site
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No tech skills needed
- Works with any 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 beautifully designed, landing page templates that are conversion-optimized and fully customizable …
(Landing page template sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are currently over thirty templates available, with more templates planned for future release. In addition to the available templates, the developers plan to release new templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, to be able to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web 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 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 attractive pre-designed web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and customize anything on the page template …
The landing page templates included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Change text in all bullet points, headlines, buttons, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Replace any background images and edit color
- Edit the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Modify the size of the content area
- Change the order of web page elements
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add any type of custom content anywhere in your pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own page templates, or even build a library of custom landing page templates.
(Change or customize anything on your page template)
Transform Your Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin combo includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your website …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(When visitors click on the button, they are presented with an opt-in form)
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 reaches a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate attention-getting elements on your web pages, using various effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from right to left, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web 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.
User Testimonials
Below are just some testimonials plugin customers have written 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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”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”
Thrive Content Builder Plugin – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, 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.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder 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 very well-supported, and users get lifetime software updates, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that just keeps 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 License Edition – This lets you install the plugin on one site only. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This lets you install the plugin on all of your personal websites. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – This allows you to set up the plugin on all of your own domains and your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase the product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Currently, the software sells for the pricing shown above. This may not be the actual price set by the product developer when you visit the site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest pricing:
Additional Plugin Information
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 web page elements and beautiful, pre-designed template sets that help speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you also 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, that allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin in action, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive website.
Our Recommendation …
If you want to edit something, you click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you will see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create awesome sales pages and content, Thrive Content and Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, check out the plugin here:
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