WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool being used to design all types of web pages – direct sales pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the most straight-forward way to create stunning content and beautiful page layouts in WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There A Better Tool For Designing Great-Looking Web Site Pages In WordPress?
With so many advancements that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress users and developers believe that the WordPress editor is not really suitable for building or editing sophisticated web page layouts.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding more complex layouts can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the illustration below …
To create the above layout, you would have to add short codes to your content for every single element you want to display on the page …
Normally, this is not really an issue … until you choose to change something in the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 3 from bright red to yellow. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, when working with more complex layouts, what you see on your screen may not be what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some situations, some people argue that users could be better off working with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to build non-linear 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 problem with using HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress visual editor can be summarized by asking 2 questions:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a web page using the 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 does not look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you have to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require taking a number of 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 then impacts how fast you can create your content, as you wait for the new content to reload.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with various solutions to try to address this issue. These solutions range from plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that include built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex content easier!)
Some solutions end up including so many complex page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they don’t address the fundamental challenge 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 your page content to look ”perfect” quickly, this can start to become very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your page editor to function?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine the following …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs correction, just click on the content and start writing. Your content has been instantly changed.
- You can just drag and drop elements around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally translate code.
- You have an idea for an item of content you’d like to add, so you just begin typing, and your web page gets built as you go, with no delays, no tab switching, and without having to wait for new web content to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts in real-time 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 Landing Pages And Content Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag-and-drop content builder plugin for WordPress.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides WordPress users with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding content to WordPress sites.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to WordPress)
The plugin 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.
Let’s review each of the above plugins and how all of this functionality works together to help you transform and improve your business online and create amazing marketing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder lets you easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be created with “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” ease …
Once elements have been positioned on the page, you can continue to further edit these without having to go through additional steps or opening new configuration screens …
You can also build stunning landing pages and easily edit these …
Thrive Content and 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 easy, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
More info: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another excellent plugin for WordPress that we have recommended on this site.
To read about the plugin, go here:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder
Here we have listed just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Installation Is Easy And Simple
Thrive Content Builder installs like any WordPress plugin. Simply upload it to your Plugins folder via your WordPress dashboard and activate.
Edit & Build Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is simple and intuitive to use and lets you create and 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 as you work within the editor – typefaces, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits include the following:
- Add Eye-Catching Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements With No Shortcodes Required: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an exciting and simple-to-use drag and drop content editor, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of web design elements that you can add to your pages without using shortcodes, such as content toggle, styled lists, dividers, responsive Google map embeds, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to wait for your new content to reload 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 want done.
(Insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, content toggle, styled lists, page section dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WP users many features. Below we have listed just some of these:
- Regular WordPress Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the built-in WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, justified paragraphs, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on 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 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 Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you add animated images, 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 plugin lets you easily add conversion-optimized web pages to your web site)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating pages for your WordPress site
- 100% conversion-optimized web page templates
- No web coding skills required
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 …
(Thrive Landing Pages provides sets of templates that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are over 30 templates available, with more templates being worked on. In addition to the available templates, the developers plan to release new page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template
Typically, to be able to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either hire a web 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 mess around with code or use overly 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 great-looking pre-designed 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:
- Edit text in any bullet point, headline, button, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Replace the background image or colour
- Edit the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Edit content area size
- Rearrange the order of page elements
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add 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 and customize any aspect of the page templates)
Thrive Lightbox – Transform Your Web Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully configurable 2-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your web pages …
(Add lead capture forms and events to your WordPress web site with Thrive Lightbox)
Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process can 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 help increase your conversion rates.)
Thrive Lightbox 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 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 in, slide in from bottom to top, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress web site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Plugin Users
Here are just a few of the testimonials plugin customers have provided for Thrive Content Builder:
“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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”Great stuff! I am really impressed by all the new additions. You guys have shown a true commitment to making these themes and the Content Builder awesome. Michael Johnson”
Plugin Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. You cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was not created with the plugin installed.
You can add short codes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly on the front end.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build with Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content and Page Builder 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 very well-supported, and users get lifetime software upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, 100% refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep getting better.
Product 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 License Edition – This edition enables you to configure the plugin on a single domain. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This license option lets you set up the plugin on all websites that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License – This allows you to set up the plugin on all of your own web sites and any client websites. Price includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: Pricing for the Thrive Content Builder product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The pricing shown above was correct when this article was published. This may not be the actual price set by the plugin seller when you visit the plugin site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest pricing:
Additional Info
The Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin developers 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 page elements and beautiful, pre-designed template sets that help make designing your pages faster, and on the other hand, you also have complete control over the design process and the freedom to change everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For demo videos showing plugin usage, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive website.
We Highly Recommend This …
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, simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create awesome sales 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:
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