WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool to a tool that is now being used to design all types of web pages – marketing pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, someone is most likely already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you learn how to create stunning content faster with drag & drop ease in WordPress sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress Content Editor Meet All Of Your Content Creation Needs?
Using the WordPress editor to create or edit complex layouts can sometimes be difficult.
(The WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding more complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, users would normally need to add shortcodes to the content for each page element they would like to display on the page …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you decide to change something in the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the background color inside box 1 from dark green to another color. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to add complex content elements, what you see is not exactly what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users may even be better off working with the html source itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to build fancy layouts …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for non-technical users to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue with using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to create a web page using the 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 screenshot, what you see in the back end looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require multiple 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 coming along, which can impact how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for your content to refresh.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with various solutions to address this issue. These solutions range from stand alone WordPress plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP themes that provide built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex layouts easier!)
Some solutions end up requiring so many complex page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these solutions work fine, but they don’t really address the fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating, 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 very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your content builder to behave?
Now, imagine this …
- You spot something in your content that needs to be corrected so you, simply click on the content and start editing it. Your content is instantly fixed.
- You can drag and drop items on the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate shortcodes or HTML.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content you’d like to add, so you immediately start typing, and you build your page as you go, with no delays, with no switching of tab browsers, and no waiting for new web pages to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your WordPress web site? A true visual editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the page?
(Imagine being able to create complex 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 Landing Pages And Content Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a unique plugin for WordPress that gives you total control over every aspect of your content pages with a click-to-edit and drag and drop content editor.
Thrive Content Builder is a new and exciting way to speed up the process of creating content on.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to WordPress)
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.
We’ll discuss all of the above and how all of this functionality works seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your business online and create amazing sales pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder For WordPress
With this plugin installed easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your web page can be created by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been added to the page, you can then customize or edit them without having to go through multiple steps or opening more configuration windows …
You can also create stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing web pages with the plugin installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers guarantee that you’ll never look back once you start using it
For more details about this plugin go here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another fantastic plugin that we have reviewed on this site.
See this page to read about the plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Here are just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress site:
Very Easy To Install
Thrive Content Builder installs like every other plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your WP dashboard and activate.
Edit And Create Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is very simple to use and lets you build and add content to your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back-end” as you work within the editor – fonts, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits and advantages include:
- Add Stunning Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Add Design Elements With No Shortcodes Involved: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an exciting and easy-to-use click-to-edit content builder, but the plugin also includes a collection of customizable design elements that you can add to your layouts without using short codes, for e.g.: columns, content reveal feature, testimonials, Google Map embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for your content to reload frees up your attention and allows you to build the pages your business needs, quickly and without having to deal with code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Add, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, flat design elements, gradient boxes, page section dividers, countdown timers, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers many features to WP users. Below we have listed just some of those:
- All Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the regular content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, paragraph formatting, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help 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 Element Design: Add responsive columns, guarantee boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you insert animated page content, 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you access to conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time designing beautiful-looking landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No technical skills required
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder not only lets you create beautiful-looking content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally designed, conversion optimized landing page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are over thirty templates available, with more templates scheduled for release. In addition to the available 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.
Fully Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, in order to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either hire 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 great-looking pre-designed page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or edit any element of your page templates …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Change text in all bullet points, headlines, buttons, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Change all background images and edit colour
- Edit the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Change content area size
- Rearrange the order of elements on the pages
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add custom content anywhere inside the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change and customize any element of your page templates)
Transform Your WordPress Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin combo also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully editable two-step opt-in forms and events to your pages …
(Add opt-in forms and events to your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can help improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Opt-in forms help 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 scrolls down to a certain point on the page. You can also use the Event Manager to animate images on your pages, using various effects (e.g. zoom in from the page center, slide in from right to left, roll out, 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 your events, triggers and design.
User Testimonials
Below are a couple of the testimonials and comments customers have provided for 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”
Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any WordPress theme, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content on pages or posts that were not created using the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin 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 upgrades, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep getting better.
Product Licensing 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 edition allows you to use the plugin on one site only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This allows you to set up the plugin on all websites that you own. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – Use on your sites & on all your client web sites. Price includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost of purchasing this product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The price above was current at the time this content was written. This may or may not be the actual price set by the product seller when you visit the product website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Information
The Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin developers emphatically maintain 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 template sets that help to speed up the content creation process, and on the other hand, you have complete control over your design process and the freedom to change anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For a demo video of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you can see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, visit the plugin website here:
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