WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool to a tool that can be used to design all types of web pages – landing pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover the fastest way to build beautiful layouts in WordPress websites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Editor – Is There A Faster Tool To Create Stunning-Looking Content In WordPress?
With all the rapid developments that the WordPress platform has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers and users feel that the WordPress content editor is more suitable for performing conventional content editing than creating or editing page content elements within more complex layouts.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding more complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, you would need to add shortcodes to your content for each of the elements you want to create …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you need to change the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the button inside a box from bright red to gold. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress visual content editor is supposed to provide non-technical users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, if you are creating with complex layouts, often what you see on your screen is not what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, some people argue that you would probably be better off working with the html source itself instead of the visual editor when trying to create complex 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 problem of 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” 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 even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that users need to abstract what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing updates to see how your content is progressing, which then affects how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for the new content to load.
A number of WordPress developers have tried to come up with various solutions with the aim of addressing this issue. Some of these solutions range from standalone WordPress plugins you can install on 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 creating complex layouts easier!)
Some solutions combine so many page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative solutions work fine, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating, 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 your web pages to look “just right” quickly, this can become very frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now, imagine the following …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs to be changed, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content is then instantly fixed.
- You just drag and drop items on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will appear on the front end without having to mentally visualize HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for an item of content you would like to add, so you just begin typing, and your page gets built on the fly, without delays, with no tab switching, and without waiting for new web content to reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your WordPress site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex web pages ”on the fly” for your web content with no 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 And Landing Page Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Editing Plugin
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content creation plugin for WordPress.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin 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 with a menu that lets you select, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to your WordPress site)
The plugin is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins rolled into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
In this article we’ll take a look at each of the above and how these exciting features work together to help you transform and improve your web site and create awesome marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
You can easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element on your page can be built by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have placed your elements on the page, you can then edit these without having to go through multiple steps or switching screens …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you create highly attractive 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, working on content with the plugin installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers warn that you will never look back once you start using it
Go here to learn more: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another terrific plugin for WordPress we’ve previously reviewed on this site.
To learn more about this plugin, see this page:
Benefits
Below are just some of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of designing pages and creating content for your website:
Quick And Easy To Install And Use. Ready To Start Using In Very Little Time.
Thrive Content Builder is really easy to install. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit & Create Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you add content to your pages in real-time.
What You See Is Really What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – fonts, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Additional plugin benefits include:
- Stunning Page Layouts With Drag And Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Design Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and an easy-to-use click-to-edit WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of design elements that you can insert into your layouts without using shortcodes, like tabbed content, star ratings for review pages, buttons, responsive Google maps, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for your new 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 want done.
(Create, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, flat design elements, borderless content, buttons, code insert boxes, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers website owners many features. Below we have listed just some of these features:
- All Content Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the regular content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, paragraph centering, font styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements to your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Page Design: Add responsive columns, text boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you create animations, 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 from signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin lets you easily add conversion-optimized web pages to your web site)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing and customizing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No technical skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content 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, 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, the developers plan to release new web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Completely Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Normally, in order 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 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 creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you attractive pre-built pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and customize any aspect of the page templates …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Edit text in any bullet point, button, headline, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Replace the background image and background colour
- Change the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Change content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on your page
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add custom content in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own web pages from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or customize any element of the page template)
Transform Your Website Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your site …
(Add lead capture forms and animated elements to your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps to increase your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a two-step opt-in process)
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 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 various animation effects (e.g. zoom in, slide in from right to left, rotate, 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
Here are some of the testimonials and feedback plugin users have submitted regarding Thrive Content Builder:
”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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“I’m blown away by the plugin. Keep up the incredible, WordPress changing work, guys! Dean Phillips”
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 on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with 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 really well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that just keeps getting better.
Product License 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. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This enables you to activate the plugin on all domains that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency License – This allows you to install the plugin on all of your own websites and your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing for the Thrive Content Builder product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. When we last checked, the product sells for the pricing shown above. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the plugin developer when you visit the website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Information
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and beautiful, pre-designed template sets that help to make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over the design process and the ability to change and customize anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which allows you to get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For ”how to” videos showing how the plugin works, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Download This Plugin …
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’ll see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, all you have to do is simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no overly complicated 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 Landing 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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