WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool being used to design all types of pages – landing pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
In this article you will discover how to create beautiful page layouts with drag & drop ease in WordPress web sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Content Editor – Is There A Simpler Tool To Design Pages In WordPress?
With all the many improvements that the WordPress platform has undergone in recent years, many WordPress developers feel that the WordPress editor is more suitable for performing simple content editing than building and editing page content elements within complex layouts.
(The built-in WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and media, but adding more complex content elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
To create the above layout, you would normally need to add short codes to the content for each of the elements you want to create …
Generally, this is not really an issue … unless you have to reconfigure your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the background color inside a box from red to blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to give non-technical users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, if you are creating with complex layouts, 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 situations, you may even be better off working inside the WordPress html editor tab instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to add something other than simple page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for non-technical website owners to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental problem about having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to create a web 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, what you see when working in the editor does not look anything like what you see in the front end. This means that users have to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking multiple steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for your updated content to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have tried to come up with various solutions to try and make content editing more intuitive. Some of these range from WordPress plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP themes that offer built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex page layouts 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 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 layouts quickly, this can become quite frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your content builder to behave?
Now, visualize the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs changing, just click on the content and start changing it. Your content has been instantly fixed.
- 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 abstract from code.
- You have an idea for a specific piece of content that you would like to create, so you immediately begin typing, and you build your web page on the fly, without delays, with no tab switching, and without waiting for new pages to refresh.
Would that not be the ideal way to create content for your web site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex web 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 And Page Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a revolutionary WordPress plugin that lets website owners quickly add beautiful content to WordPress posts and pages with a powerful 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 sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content 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 rolled into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
Let’s examine each of the above plugins and how these features work together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging 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 aspect of your web page can be configured with “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” ease …
Once you have positioned elements on your page, you can then continue to customize or edit them without going through additional steps or opening new settings screens …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you build stunning landing pages that can also be easily customized …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing pages and working on content with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers warn that you’ll never look back once you start using it
More info: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another terrific plugin for WordPress that we have previously recommended on this site.
To read more about the plugin, see this post:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages Plugin
Below we have listed just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress website:
Installation Is Easy
Thrive Content Builder is quite easy to install. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Building And Editing
Thrive Content Builder is really simple to use and lets you build and add content right inside your web pages 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 your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Additional benefits and advantages include:
- Stunning Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements Without Short Codes: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a click-to-edit content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of functional and attractive web design elements that you can insert into your content layouts without using short codes, for e.g.: flat design elements, feature grids, buttons, custom HTML and CSS, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to wait for your updated content to reload frees up your attention and allows you to build the pages your business needs, quickly and without having to mess with code or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Easily insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, content toggle, feature grids, dividers, responsive Google maps, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides a number of unique features to website owners. Here are just a few:
- Built-In Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the regular content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, left-aligned text, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Element Design: Add responsive columns, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Your Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animation in buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Template Sets
Landing page template sets are web templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language to take your visitors all the way from signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages provides you with conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time building pages for your WordPress website
- 100% conversion-optimized web pages
- No coding skills required
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 30+ templates available, with more templates planned for future release. In addition to the existing templates, 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 Sets
Typically, to be able to have a fully customizable landing page template, 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 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 creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you stunning pre-built pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and edit anything on your page templates …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Edit text in any headline, bullet point, button, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Change all background images or colour
- Edit the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Edit content area size
- Rearrange the order of page elements
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere inside your pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own landing pages from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change and edit any element of your page template)
Transform Your Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and events to your web site …
(Add lead capture forms and animated objects to your marketing pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
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 …
(2-step opt-in forms can increase your conversion rates.)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when your visitor clicks or hovers their mouse 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 page, using various effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from bottom to top, roll in, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over all events, triggers and design.
Testimonials
Here are some of the testimonials that users have submitted for 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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”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 the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created using the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages provides free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive software is really well-supported, and users get lifetime updates, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, complete money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product 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 Edition – This edition allows you to activate the plugin on 1 web site only. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This lets you configure the plugin on unlimited web sites that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – Use on all your domains & on client web sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The price shown above was current at the time this review was written. This may not be the actual pricing set by the software seller when you visit the website and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing details here:
Additional Info
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 time-saving features like ready-made web page elements and templates that help to make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the ability to change anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For a demo video showing plugin usage, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
The Bottom Line …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you will see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no additional 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.
To learn more, check out the plugin here:
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