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, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest, most intuitive visual content editor for WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress Editor Still Meet All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
Using the built-in WordPress content editor to build or edit sophisticated page layouts can sometimes be difficult.
(The WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, users would have to add shortcodes to the content for every single element they would like to display to visitors …
Typically, this is not an issue … unless you want to change the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background color in box 2 from dark green to gray. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the content editor.
The WordPress editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to create complex layouts, what you see may not be the same as what you are going to get when the content is published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users could even be better off working with the html source itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to add complex 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 of using HTML and shortcodes to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a web page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” match 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 content editor doesn’t look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you need to translate mentally what your content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for the page to reload.
Many WordPress developers have come up with a range of solutions to try and make the visual editor easier. Some of these range from WP plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that provide built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions require so many page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they don’t really address the fundamental issue of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 your web pages to look “just right” quickly, this can start to become very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web page editor to work?
Now, visualize this …
- You see something in your content that needs fixing so you, simply click on the content and start editing it. Your content is instantly edited.
- You can just drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate any code.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you’d like to create, so you simply begin typing, and your web page gets built as you go, without delays, no switching of tab browsers, and without waiting for new content to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your WordPress web site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages quickly 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 Beautiful Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag-and-drop content and page building plugin for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding content to WordPress web sites.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with a sidebar menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content builder to WordPress)
Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages 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.
Let’s review all of the above and how these exciting features work seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your business online and create awesome marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be built with ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” ease …
Once elements have been positioned on the page, you can then easily edit these without going through multiple steps or switching screens …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you build beautiful landing pages that can also be easily 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 and working on content with the Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that you’ll never look back once you start using it
More info: 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 that we have recommended on this site.
Go here to read about the plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder Plugin
Here we have listed just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of designing pages and creating content for your web site:
Ready To Go To Work In Very Little Time
Thrive Content Builder is very easy to install. Just upload a zip file that contains the plugin to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple to use, it also lets you create content in real-time.
What You See Is Truly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the editor – fonts, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Additional benefits of using the plugin include the following:
- Create Beautiful Page 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 amazing drag and drop WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes a collection of functional and eye-catching design elements that you can add to your web pages without using short codes, such as content toggle, text boxes, page section dividers, responsive maps, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for your updated content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the web 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.
(Easily create, edit and customize web page elements like testimonial boxes, pricing tables, borderless content, call to action buttons, countdown timers, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides site owners many features. Here are just some of those features:
- 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 formatting, paragraph formatting, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of elements to your post or page screen for creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, 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, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will display great on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated images, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Template Sets
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 lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your website)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing and customizing web pages for your web site
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No technical skills required
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder not only can be used to 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 …
(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 being worked on. In addition to the templates shown above, the developers plan to release new web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, to be able to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web developer to do the work, or learn how to code web pages 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 overly 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 great-looking pre-built pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and edit any aspect of your page templates …
The landing page templates included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Modify text in any headline, bullet point, button, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change all background images or colors
- Change the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Modify content area size
- Change the order of elements on your pages
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add custom content in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or customize any element of the page template)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Website Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and events to your web site …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your WordPress site with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can help improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Visitors click on a button and are presented with an opt-in form)
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 their mouse 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 effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from right to left, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web 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.
Feedback From Users
Below are a few of the testimonials that users have written about Thrive Content Builder:
”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 – Useful 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 on existing pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress short codes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly on the front end.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive 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 plugins are very well-supported, and users get lifetime updates, and 1 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 just keeps getting better.
Plugin 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 – This license enables you to run the plugin on one domain only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This license option enables you to install the plugin on all of your personal domains. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – This allows you to run the plugin on all of your own web sites and all client sites. Cost includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: Pricing for Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending 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 plugin site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
The Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin developers 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 beautiful, conversion-optimized template sets that help make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the ability to edit everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, that lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Install 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 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 position. There are no overly complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more details, check out the plugin here:
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