WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool that can be used to create all kinds of web sites.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is probably already building it with WordPress!
In this article you will discover the simplest, most intuitive WYSIWYG content builder for WordPress.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress Visual Editor Still Meet All Of Your Content Creation Needs?
With so many improvements that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress users and developers feel that using the built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor to create or edit more complex web site pages can be quite difficult.
(The WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the screenshot below …
Creating the above in a page would require adding something like this in your default WordPress visual content editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you have to reconfigure the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or change the background color inside a box from dark green to gray. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the content editor.
The WordPress visual content editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, when working with more complex page elements, what you see is not really what you are going to get when the page goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users would probably be better off working inside the html editor tab instead of the visual editor when trying to add something other than simple layouts …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it hard for non-technical website owners to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental problem about using HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to create a page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor resemble 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 when working in the editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that users need to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require several steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching tabs and performing updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for the new content to load.
A number of WordPress web developers have tried to come up with various solutions to try and address this issue. These solutions range from 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 content creation easier!)
Some solutions include so many page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these solutions work, but they still don’t address the fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 layouts quickly, this can start to become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web content builder to behave?
Now, imagine this …
- You see something in the content that needs fixing so you, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content has been instantly edited.
- You just drag and drop items around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will appear on the front end without having to mentally translate any HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for a specific piece of content you would like to add, so you just start typing, and your page gets built as you go, with no delays, with no switching of tab browsers, and without waiting for web pages to resave and reload.
Would this not be the perfect way to create content for your website? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages ”on the fly” for your web content with no technical skills required!)
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 – The Ultimate Drag And Drop Front End Visual Content Editor For WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag and drop content editor.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides you with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding content to your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content editing option to your WordPress site)
Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins combined into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
We will take a look at all of the above and how all of this exciting functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
With the Thrive Content Builder plugin, you can easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element on your page can be configured by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have positioned your elements on a page, you can then continue to edit these without going through multiple steps or opening new settings windows …
You can also work inside highly attractive landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, designing web pages with the Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin installed is so effortlessly easy, that the developers guarantee that you’ll never look back once you start using it
To learn more about this plugin go here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin we’ve reviewed on this site.
Go here to learn more about using this plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Here are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Fast And Simple To Install And Set Up. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder is very easy to install. Just upload it to your Plugins folder via your dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Building And Editing
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple to use, it also lets you add content to your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see 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:
- Stunning Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Customizable Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a click-to-edit WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of customizable web design elements that you can use on your layouts without using shortcodes, for e.g.: tabbed content, styled lists, testimonials, responsive Google map embeds, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for the updated content to reload frees up your attention and allows you to build the content your business needs, quickly and without having to edit code or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Add, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, content toggle, star ratings for review pages, dividers, countdown timers, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WP users many features. Below we have listed just a few of these:
- Regular Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in content editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, paragraph centering, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements to 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 the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Add responsive columns, guarantee boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated content elements, 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 initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money building gorgeous-looking web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized pages
- No web coding skills needed
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Landing Pages and Content 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, 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 over 30 templates available, with more templates scheduled for release. In addition to the templates that are currently available, the developers plan to release new web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, in order to have fully customizable landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web site 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 mess around with 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 building conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you attractive pre-designed page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and customize any element of the page …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Edit text in all bullet points, headlines, buttons, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of the landing page
- Replace the background image and edit color
- Change the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Change content area size
- Rearrange the order of web page elements
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add any kind of custom content in your pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own page templates, or even build a custom landing page templates library.
(Change and edit any element of your page templates)
Thrive Lightbox – Transform Your Site Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully editable two-step opt-in forms and events to your web site …
(Add opt-in forms and animated elements to your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps increase 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 improve your conversion rates.)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form appear when your visitor clicks or hovers 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 page, using various animation effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from top to bottom, 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 Feedback
Here are some of the testimonials and feedback plugin users have submitted 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”
***
”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”
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 pages or posts that were not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Product Support
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder comes with 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 really well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Software Price
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 enables you to install the plugin on 1 website only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This license option enables you to configure the plugin on all of your personal domains. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – Use on all your sites and on all your client web sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost of purchasing Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Presently, the plugin retails for the pricing shown above. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the software developer when you visit the site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin repeatedly 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 time-saving features like ready-made page elements and templates that help to speed up your content creation, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over your design process and the ability to edit and customize everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For a demo video showing how the plugin works, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, you just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you can see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, you drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no additional steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your 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 more details, check out the plugin here:
***