WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool to a tool that can be used to design all types of web pages – landing pages, product showcase pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can think of, someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
This article will help you discover the fastest way to build beautiful page layouts in WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The Default WordPress Editor Meeting All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
Using the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor to create or edit sophisticated page layouts can be challenging.
(The WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding more complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, if you look at the screenshot below …
To create the above layout, you would need to insert shortcodes into the content for each page element you want to display to visitors …
Typically, this is not an issue … until you have to reconfigure your layout (for example, move some of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the button inside a box from red to blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code inside the content editor.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to give non-technical users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to add complex page elements, what you see in the visual editor may not be the same as what you are going to get when your content is published …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, you may even be better off working directly inside the WordPress html editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to add fancy layouts …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for WordPress site owners with no coding skills to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental challenge about using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a page using this 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 image, what you see when working in the back end looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that users have to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require a number of steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for for your updated content to reload.
A number of WordPress developers have tried to come up with different solutions to try and address this issue. Some of these range from WP plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that provide built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation 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 alternative editors work, but they fail to address the fundamental problem with using HTML and shortcodes 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 your web pages to look “just right” quickly, this can become very frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web content editor to work?
Now, visualize this …
- You see something in your content that needs changing so you, simply click on the content and start writing. Your content is instantly fixed.
- You simply drag and drop elements around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally visualize code.
- You have an idea for some content that you would like to add, so you simply start typing, and your page gets built as you go, without delays, with no switching of tab browsers, and without having to wait for web pages to republish and reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your website? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex web pages ”on the fly” for your web content without 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 Plugin – Create Stunning Content And Beautiful Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Websites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a unique WordPress plugin that lets site owners easily add content to their posts and pages using 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 adding amazing content to WordPress web sites.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new editor to your WordPress site)
Thrive Content And Landing Page 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.
In this article we’ll take a look at each of the above and how all of this functionality works seamlessly together to help you transform and improve your site and create amazing sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Plugin
With this plugin installed easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be created by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once you have placed your elements on a page, you can then further customize these without going through multiple steps or switching tabs …
You can also create highly attractive landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content 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 effortlessly simple, that the developers guarantee that you will never look at creating and adding content the same way 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 excellent plugin for WordPress we’ve previously recommended on this site.
Go here to read more about the plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content And Page Builder
Below are just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of designing pages and creating content for your web site:
Ready To Start Using In No Time
Thrive Content Builder installs like any regular plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your dashboard and activate.
Add And Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is simple to use and lets you build content in real-time.
What You See Is Exactly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see as you work within the content editor – typefaces, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get in the front end of your site.
Some additional plugin benefits include the following:
- Stunning Web Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Add Customizable Elements With No Short Codes Required: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get an amazing click-to-edit content editor, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of professional design elements that you can use on your layouts without using shortcodes, such as content toggle, table of contents builder, section dividers, responsive video embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to wait for your updates to load frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, content toggle, feature grids, dividers, Google Map embeds, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder offers many features to WordPress users. Here are just a few:
- Regular Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the built-in WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, justified text, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen for creating and editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with various 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, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, guarantee boxes, dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on devices with differently sized screens.
- Add Animation Events To Web Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you insert animated buttons, 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 from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing stunning landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized web pages
- No coding skills required
- Works with all themes
Thrive Content Builder not only can be used to create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, landing 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 currently 30+ templates available, with more templates scheduled for release. In addition to the templates shown above, the developers plan to release new web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, to be able to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either hire a web site 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 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 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 aspect of the page …
The landing page templates included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Edit text in all buttons, headlines, bullet points, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of your landing page
- Replace the background image and edit colour
- Edit the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Modify the size of the content area
- Change the order of elements on your page
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add custom content anywhere in any of the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build a library of custom landing page templates.
(Change or customize anything on the page template)
Thrive Lightbox – Transform Your WordPress Site Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive package also includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your web site …
(Add opt-in forms and animation to your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps to increase your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a 2-step opt-in process)
Thrive Lightbox 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 their mouse 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 images on your web pages, using various animation effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from top to bottom, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your marketing pages 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.
User Testimonials
Here are just a few of the testimonials and feedback that plugin users have written about the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
”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 Plugin – Useful 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 with the plugin installed.
You can add short codes 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 Landing Pages and Content Builder Plugin 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 software is really well-supported, and users get unlimited upgrades, and one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, full refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep 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 Licensing – This allows you to use the plugin on 1 website only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This edition lets you configure the plugin on all of your personal websites. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – Use on all your domains & on all your client websites. Price includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase this product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The price above was correct when this article was published. This may or may not be the actual pricing charged by the software developer when you visit the website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing:
Additional Information
The Thrive Content and Page 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 web page elements and beautiful, pre-designed templates that help speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over your design process and the freedom to change everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you get things done without having to open multiple dialog boxes.
For ”how-to” videos of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Our Recommendation …
If you want to edit something, you 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 position. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, check out the plugin here:
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