WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to 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 most likely already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the ultimate click-to-edit front end content editor for WordPress web sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There A Smarter Option To Create Content In WordPress?
With so many advancements that the WordPress platform has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers believe that using the built-in WordPress visual content editor to build or edit more complex layouts can sometimes be quite challenging.
(The WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
To create the above layout, you would have to add shortcodes to your content for each of the elements you want to display …
Normally, this is not an issue … unless you need to change your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 1 from bright red to gold. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the editor.
The WordPress editor is supposed to provide non-technical users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are creating with complex page elements, often what you see is not really what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users could even be better off working directly with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to add something other than simple layouts …
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 challenge of using shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized by asking the following questions:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build 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 screenshot, what you see when working in the editor doesn’t look at all like what you see in the front end. This means that you have to abstract what your content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require several steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for the updated content to refresh.
A number of WordPress developers have come up with a range of solutions with the goal of making the visual editor easier. Some of these alternative solutions range from plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress 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 combining so many complex page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work fine, but they don’t address the fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML 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 start to become very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now, visualize this …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs to be changed, simply click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You simply drag and drop items on 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 an item of content you’d like to create, so you immediately start typing, and your web page gets built on the fly, without delays, with no switching tabs, and without waiting for new pages to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to create content for your site? A true WYSIWYG content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages in real-time 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
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a revolutionary WordPress plugin that lets site owners quickly add beautiful content to WordPress posts and pages using a click-to-edit and drag and drop content editor.
Thrive Content Builder is 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 and a menu that lets you select, then drag and drop elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to your WordPress site)
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.
We will cover all of the above plugins and how these features work seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your website and create awesome sales pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Creator And Editor For WordPress
This plugin lets you easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be created by ”clicking-to-edit” and “dragging and dropping” things around the page …
Once you have positioned elements on your page, you can continue to further edit them without going through multiple steps or switching tabs …
You can also work inside stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
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 the plugin installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers guarantee that you’ll never look at creating and adding content the same way once you start using it
For more details, visit the plugin site here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin for WordPress we’ve previously written about on this site.
To learn more about this plugin, go here:
Benefits
Here are just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Quick And Easy To Install And Use. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder is quite easy to install. Simply upload a zip folder containing the plugin files to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit And Add Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is very simple to use and lets you edit and build 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 editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Beautiful Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Customizable Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and simple-to-use drag and drop content editor, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of functional and eye-catching design elements that you can customizable and use on your content layouts without using short codes, for e.g.: flat design elements, feature grids, buttons, countdown timers, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you edit content and then wait for your updates to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to build the pages your business needs, quickly and without having to deal with code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonial boxes, columns, styled lists, buttons, responsive Google map embeds, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many features to website owners. Below we have listed just a few:
- 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 formatting, left-aligned paragraphs, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen for creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes 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 guarantees. In addition to customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Your Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated page content, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – 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 initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your web site)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No web coding skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content Builder not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, conversion optimized landing page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page template sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are over 30 templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the templates that are currently available, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, in order to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web site developer to do the work, or learn web coding languages like HTML and CSS 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 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 stunning pre-designed pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and customize any aspect of the page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Modify text in any headline, bullet point, button, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change the background image or color
- Edit the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Edit content area size
- Change the order of elements on the pages
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add any type of custom content anywhere inside your pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own templates, or even build your own custom landing page templates library.
(Change or customize any element of your page template)
Transform Your WordPress Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully editable two-step opt-in forms and events to your pages …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps to improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a two-step opt-in process)
Thrive Lightbox 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 images on your web pages, using a range of effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from top to bottom, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress web site with Thrive Lightbox)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Here are just a few of the testimonials and feedback users have provided for 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”
***
”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”
Useful 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 on existing pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder provides free updates, new landing pages 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 unlimited upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Software 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 option enables you to configure the plugin on 1 site only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License Edition – This enables you to activate the plugin on all domains that you own. Cost includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – Use on your sites and on client sites. Pricing includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The price of Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. When we last checked, the plugin is being retailed for the amounts shown above. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the product 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:
Additional Information
The developers of the Thrive Landing Pages and Content 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 make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the freedom to edit everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which lets you see how the content you are working on will display on the “front end” after being published.
For ”how-to” videos of the plugin in action, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
In Conclusion …
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 can see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, all you need to do is drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create awesome sales pages and content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For full details, check out the plugin here:
***