WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool being used to design all types of web pages – marketing 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!
This article will help you discover the most intuitive visual content builder for WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The WordPress Visual Content Editor Still Meeting All Of Your Page Design Needs?
Using the built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor to create or edit complex web site pages can sometimes be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
To create the above layout, users would have to insert shortcodes into the content for every element they want to display …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you want to reconfigure the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the button inside box 3 from red to dark red. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress visual content editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, if you are working with complex layouts, often what you see on your screen may not be what you are going to get when the content gets published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, you would probably be better off working with the html source itself instead of the WYSIWYG editor when trying to create non-linear page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for WordPress users without coding skills to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental issue about using HTML and shortcodes to create content in WordPress can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build 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 screenshot, what you see in the editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that users need to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require several 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 can affect how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for the page to reload.
Many WordPress developers have come up with different solutions with the objective of making the visual editor more intuitive. These solutions range from plugins you can add to 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 content easier!)
Some solutions end up combining so many complex page design features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these editors work fine, but they still fail to address the fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding sophisticated content elements 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 page content quickly, this can become quite frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your content builder to function?
Now, visualize the following scenario …
- You see something in your content that needs to be corrected so you, simply click on the content and start writing. Your content is then instantly edited.
- You can drag and drop items around the page, and see them exactly as they will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate any code.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content you’d like to add, so you immediately start typing, and you build your web page on the fly, with no delays, no tab switching, and without having to wait for new web pages to refresh.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages ”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 Plugin – The Simplest WYSIWYG Editor For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content builder plugin.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of creating amazing content on.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a sidebar menu that lets you drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editor to WordPress)
The Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder 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 all of the above plugins and how these features work together to help you transform and improve your web site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder For WordPress
This plugin lets you easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element on your page can be created using simple ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” …
Once elements have been added to your page, you can then easily edit them without going through additional steps or opening new settings screens …
The built-in Thrive Landing Pages also lets you work inside highly attractive landing pages and easily customize these …
Thrive Content and Page 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 Content Builder 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
The integrated Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin that we have reviewed on this site.
To learn more about this plugin, see this page:
Benefits
Here are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Quick And Easy To Install And Set Up. Ready To Go To Work In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder is very easy to install. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your WP dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Creation
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you add content right inside your pages in real-time.
What You See Is Exactly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back-end” as you work within the editor – fonts, visual elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits include:
- Attractive 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 Thrive Content Builder you not only get an amazing drag and drop WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a collection of design elements that you can customizable and add to your pages without using short codes, such as flat design elements, feature grids, section dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you edit your content and then wait for for your updated content to load frees up your attention and allows you to build the web pages your business needs, quickly and without having to mess with code or click through multiple steps to get what you need done.
(Easily add, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, pricing tables, styled lists, dividers, responsive Google map embeds, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WordPress users many features. Here are just some of these features:
- Regular WordPress Content Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, centering text, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of elements to your post or page screen for editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help you increase your sales conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, dividers, e.g. which will display great on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The plugin’s 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 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 creating web pages for your site
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No technical skills required
- Works with all 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 professionally designed, page templates that are conversion-optimized and fully customizable …
(Landing page template sets 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 available templates, the developers plan to release new templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, in order 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 how to edit the page code 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 creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you beautiful pre-designed web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and edit any aspect of the page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you are able to:
- Modify text in any bullet point, headline, button, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Replace the background image or background colors
- Edit the color of links, text, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Modify the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of web page elements
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add custom content anywhere in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own pages from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change or edit anything on your page templates)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive package also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and events to your content pages …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(2-step opt-in forms can help improve 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 attention-getting elements on your page, using various animation effects (e.g. zoom in, slide in from top to bottom, roll out, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress web site with Thrive Lightbox)
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 few of the testimonials users have provided for 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”
Thrive Content Builder – 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 on existing pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress short codes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content and Page Builder provides free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The Thrive team is constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are very well-supported, and users get unlimited software upgrades, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps 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 Edition – This allows you to configure the plugin on 1 web site only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This license enables you to install the plugin on unlimited websites that you personally own. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License Edition – Use on your sites and on all your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: Pricing for Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. Presently, the software is selling for the prices shown above. This may or may not be the actual price charged by the plugin author when you visit the site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing information:
Additional Info
The Thrive Landing Pages and 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized template sets that help to speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over the design process and the ability to edit anything and everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you get things done without having to go through multiple steps.
For ”how to” videos of the plugin in action, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you’ll see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, all you need 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 business online and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For full details, visit the plugin website here:
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