WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool to a tool being used to design all types of web pages – marketing pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest way to create stunning content and beautiful layouts in WordPress websites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Editor – Is There An Easier Option For Creating Web Pages In WordPress?
With so many developments that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers and users believe that the WordPress editor is now lagging behind all of the other improvements made to the software.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
Creating the above in your content would require adding something like this into your default WordPress content editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you have to edit some part of your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or change the background colour inside a box from dark green to blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress editor is supposed to provide users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, if you are creating with complex content elements, what you see on your editor screen is not the same as what you are getting when the web page is published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, users could be better off working inside the WordPress html editor tab instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to create fancy layouts …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for non-technical users to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue of 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 page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor resemble 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 content editor does not look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you need to translate mentally 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 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 content to refresh.
Many WordPress developers have tried to come up with various solutions with the objective of making the visual editor more intuitive. These range from WordPress plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WordPress themes that offer built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions end up including so many 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 don’t really address the fundamental issue of 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 page layouts 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 web page editor to function?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine this …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs fixing, simply click on the content and start writing. Your content is instantly edited.
- You 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 item of content you would like to create, so you simply begin typing, and your web page gets built as you go, with no delays, with no tab switching, and no waiting for edits to refresh.
Would that not be the perfect way to create content for your WordPress web site? A true WYSIWYG content editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(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 Landing Page Builder
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content creation plugin.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides WordPress users with a new and incredibly easy way to set up conversion-focused pages on any WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor and an item menu that lets you click, then drag and drop elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to WordPress)
Thrive 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.
Let’s review each of the above plugins and how these powerful features work seamlessly together to help you easily transform and improve your business online and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Editing Plugin
You can easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be configured by ”clicking-to-edit” and “dragging and dropping” things around the page …
Once elements have been positioned on the page, you can then continue to edit or customize them without having to go through additional steps or switching screens …
You can also build beautiful landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with Thrive Content Builder installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers guarantee that you will never look back once you start using it
Go here to learn more about the plugin: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another fantastic plugin we’ve previously recommended on this site.
To read more about the plugin, go here:
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 your page design and content creation process:
Quick Installation
Thrive Content Builder is very easy to install. Just upload a zip folder that contains the plugin files to your Plugin folder via your WordPress admin login and activate.
Real-Time Content Building & Editing
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you edit content 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 content editor – typefaces, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Attractive Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with drag-and-drop ease.
- Design Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an amazing drag and drop content editor, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of web design elements that you can customizable and insert into your layouts without using short codes, for e.g.: tabbed content, styled lists, testimonials, responsive Google maps, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for the new content to load 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 steps to get what you need done.
(Insert, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, pricing tables, star ratings for review pages, call to action buttons, credit card icons, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides website owners many features. Below we have listed just some of those features:
- Regular Content Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have all of the regular WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, paragraph centering, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on your post or page screen when creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of eye-catching and customizable elements that will help you increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will display great on different-sized screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The 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 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 initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating gorgeous landing pages for your WordPress site
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No web coding skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
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 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 web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, training 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 hire a web developer to do the work, or learn how to code web pages 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 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 beautiful pre-built web pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and edit any aspect of your page …
The landing page templates included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Edit text in any button, headline, bullet point, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Change any background images and edit colours
- Edit the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Edit the size of the content area
- Change the order of elements on your pages
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere in 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 anything on the page)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and events to your site …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your marketing pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on a button or image they are presented with your opt-in form …
(When visitors click on the button, they are presented with an opt-in form)
Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make an opt-in form appear when when visitors click or hover 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 web pages, using a range of animation effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from left to right, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over the events, triggers and design.
Testimonials
Below are some of the testimonials users have published about the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
”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”
Thrive Content Builder – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. Note, however, that 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 the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly on on your site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder provides free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are really well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, thirty day, 100% money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep getting better.
Plugin 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 Licensing – This lets you activate the plugin on one site only. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This license enables you to use the plugin on all of your personal websites. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – Use on your web sites and on all your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: Price details for the Thrive Content Builder plugin depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The price above was current at the time this article was written. This may or may not be the actual pricing set by the plugin developer when you visit the site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest pricing:
Additional Info
The developers of the Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized 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 change everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you work unhindered by overly complicated options.
For a demo video showing plugin usage, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
Install The Plugin …
If you want to edit something, simply 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, just drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no overly complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create amazing marketing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more details, visit the plugin website here:
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