WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool 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, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
In this article you will discover the simplest way to create stunning content in WordPress websites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress Visual Editor Meet All Of Your Content Creation Needs?
Using the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor to build or edit complex page layouts can sometimes be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and media, but adding complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
To create the above layout, you would need to insert short codes into the content for each page element you want to create …
Generally, this is not an issue … until you decide to reconfigure the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button inside box 2 from bright red to orange. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to provide users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to create complex layouts, what you see may not be what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, you could even be better off working directly inside the html (text) editor tab instead of the WYSIWYG editor when trying to create something other than simple page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for users with no coding skills to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue of having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long does it take to create a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor match the content in the “front end” when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above image, what you see when working in the back end does not 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 several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching tabs and performing updates to see how your content is coming along, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for for your updated content to reload.
Many WordPress developers have come up with a range of solutions to try and address this issue. These solutions range from WordPress 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 content creation easier!)
Some solutions combine so many page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these editors work, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental problem with 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 quite frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web content builder to function?
Now, visualize this …
- You see something in the content that needs to be changed so you, just click on the content and start writing. Your content is then instantly fixed.
- You can just drag and drop items on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally translate any code.
- You have an idea for an item of content you’d like to create, so you simply begin typing, and your page gets built as you go, with no delays, no tab switching, and without waiting for new web content to resave and reload.
Would that not be the ideal way to build content for your WordPress web site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex 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 – Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Creation Tool For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag-and-drop content creator for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress web site.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new editor to WordPress)
The Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages 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.
Let’s review each of the above plugins and how these exciting features work seamlessly together to help you transform and improve your web presence and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
Thrive Content Builder lets you easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be created and changed with ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” ease …
Once you have placed elements on your page, you can then easily edit these without going through additional steps or complicated settings windows …
The built-in Thrive Landing Pages also lets you work inside beautiful landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content and Landing Page 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 once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
More info: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin for WordPress we’ve reviewed on this site.
To read more about the plugin, go here:
Benefits
Below we have listed just some of the many benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your website:
Fast And Simple To Install And Use. Be Up And Running In Very Little Time.
Thrive Content Builder installs like every WordPress plugin. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your admin user area and activate.
Edit & Add Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is really simple to use and lets you create and edit content in real-time.
What You See Is Really What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the content editor – typefaces, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Eye-Catching Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Add Customizable Elements With No Short Codes Involved: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an amazing click-to-edit content builder, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of customizable design elements that you can customizable and use on your pages without using shortcodes, like pricing tables, borderless content, page section dividers, countdown timers, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for your page to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Thrive Content Builder lets you easily create, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, columns, table of contents builder, dividers, countdown timers, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many features to web site owners. Here are just some:
- All WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the built-in 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 elements to your post or page screen for creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of 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 being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Web Page Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like columns, text boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animated page content, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Sets
Landing page sets are web 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 gives you access to conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized web pages
- No coding skills required
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Content and Page 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, conversion optimized web page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page template sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are currently over 30 templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the templates that are currently available, the developers plan to release new templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template
Typically, to be able to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either hire a web site 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 stunning pre-built page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or customize any element of your page templates …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Modify text in any button, bullet point, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other element of the landing page
- Change any background images and edit colors
- Change the color of links, text, buttons, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Edit content area size
- Change the order of elements on your page
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add any type of custom content anywhere in 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 aspect of your page)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and events to your content pages …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps to improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Opt-in forms help improve your conversion rates.)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover their mouse 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 a range of effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from right to left, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress web site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
User Feedback
Below are a few of the testimonials and feedback that 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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”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”
Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created using the plugin.
You can add short codes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly on on your web site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin provides 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 very well-supported, and users get unlimited software upgrades, plus one 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 will just keep getting better.
Software 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 Licensing – This edition enables you to configure the plugin on a single domain. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This license option enables you to run the plugin on all of your personal websites. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – This enables you to set up the plugin on all of your own sites and any client sites. Pricing includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: Pricing details of this product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The price shown above was correct when this review was written. This may or may not be the actual price set by the software author when you visit the plugin website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
The Thrive Content Builder plugin developers 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 time-saving features like ready-made page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized template sets that help to speed up content creation, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over your design process and the ability to edit anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you get things done without having to open multiple dialog boxes.
For demo videos of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive website.
Get The Plugin …
If you want to edit something, just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you’ll see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, all you need to do is drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create awesome marketing pages and content, Thrive Content Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, visit the plugin website here:
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