WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that can be used to create all kinds of websites.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
In this article you will discover the ultimate drag and drop front end visual content builder for WordPress websites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress WYSIWYG Editor Still Meet All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
Using the built-in WordPress editor to build or edit sophisticated website pages can be quite difficult.
(The built-in WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and images, but adding more complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
To create the above layout, you would normally need to add short codes to your content for each of the elements you want to display on the web page …
Generally, this is not really an issue … unless you have to edit something in the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 1 from dark green to yellow. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are working with complex page elements, what you see in the visual editor 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 cases, users would probably be better off working directly inside the text editor tab instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to build non-linear page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for WordPress users without coding skills to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental problem about having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content with WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to create a page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” 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 editor doesn’t look anything like what you see in the front end. This means that you have to translate mentally what your content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of 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 impact how fast you can create your content, as you wait for the page to refresh.
Many WordPress web developers have tried to come up with a range of solutions with the aim of addressing this issue. Some of these 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 include so many complex page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they still don’t address the fundamental problem with using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. 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 content 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 your web content builder to behave?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine this …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs fixing, simply click on the content and start writing. Your content is instantly edited.
- You simply drag and drop elements on the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate code.
- You have an idea for an item of content you would like to create, so you simply start typing, and your page gets built on the fly, without delays, no switching of tab browsers, and without waiting for edits to resave and reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to build content for your WordPress website? A true WYSIWYG editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages quickly 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 Content Builder Plugin – Create Beautiful Web Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Sites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a ground-breaking WordPress plugin that allows you to quickly add beautiful content to your posts and pages with true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new editor to your WordPress site)
Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages 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 take a look at each of the above plugins and how all of this exciting functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create awesome marketing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder For WordPress
You can easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be configured and changed using simple ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” …
Once elements have been positioned on a page, you can continue to further customize or edit them without having to go through multiple steps or switching screens …
You can also create 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 and working on content with Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
For more details, visit the plugin site here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another amazing plugin that we have previously reviewed on this site.
Go here to read about the plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Here are just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Quick And Simple To Install And Use. Ready To Go To Work In No Time.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any plugin. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your WP dashboard and activate.
Build & Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is really simple and intuitive to use and lets you build content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the content editor – fonts, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits and advantages include:
- Add Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any type of layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Design Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a click-to-edit content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of customizable design elements that you can use on your pages without using short codes, such as pricing tables, feature grids, page section dividers, responsive Google map embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for the updates to load frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build content or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Easily create, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, flat design elements, borderless content, buttons, code insert boxes, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WordPress users many features. Here are just some:
- Built-In Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, paragraph centering, font styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales 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, guarantee boxes, dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you add animated page elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page 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 easily add conversion-optimized pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating gorgeous landing pages for your WordPress site
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No technical skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content and Page 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, web 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 over thirty 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.
Fully Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, in order to have a completely customizable landing page template, you would need to either hire a web site developer 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 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-built web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or customize anything on the page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Change text in all bullet points, buttons, headlines, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of the landing page
- Replace the background image and edit colours
- Change the color of links, text, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Change content area size
- Change the order of elements on the pages
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add custom content anywhere inside any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change and edit any element of your page templates)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your WordPress Site Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your web site …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your WordPress website with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can increase 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 increase your conversion rates.)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form appear when your visitor clicks or hovers 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 images on your web pages, using a range of effects (e.g. zoom in from the page center, slide in from left to right, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress web site 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 some of the testimonials and feedback plugin users have published about 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 theme in WordPress, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. 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 the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin comes with free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive software is well-supported, and users get unlimited software updates, and 1 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.
Plugin 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 License – This allows you to use the plugin on a single web site. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This allows you to configure 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 Edition – Use on all your domains and on all your client domains. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing details of the Thrive Content Builder product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Presently, the plugin is selling for the prices shown above. This may not be the actual price set by the plugin developer when you visit the product site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest price here:
Additional Info
The developers of the Thrive 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 beautiful, pre-designed templates that help to speed up the content creation process, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over your design process and the freedom to change everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you work unhindered by overly complicated steps.
For ”how-to” videos showing how the plugin works, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Install The Plugin …
If you want to edit something, 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 have to do is drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no unnecessary steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content and Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, visit the plugin website:
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