WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that is now being used to design all types of web pages – landing 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 ultimate drag and drop front end builder for WordPress websites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress Editor Still Meet All Of Your Page Design Needs?
With all the rapid improvements that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress users and developers believe that using the WordPress WYSIWYG editor to create or edit complex web site pages can sometimes be quite challenging.
(The WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex page elements can be quite challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
To create the above layout, users would normally need to add short codes to the content for each of the elements they want to add to their page …
Typically, this is not an issue … unless you have to change an element in the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button inside box 1 from green to yellow. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress visual content editor is supposed to be an easy-to-use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, but as you can see, if you are creating 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 you could even be better off working with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to create non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it difficult for WordPress users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental issue with having to use 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 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 does not look at all like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to abstract what the content will look like when working with complex 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 updates to see how your content is progressing, which can impact how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for the updated content to refresh.
A number of WordPress web developers have tried to come up with different solutions to try and make content editing easier. These range from stand alone 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 content creation easier!)
Some solutions end up combining so many page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these solutions work fine, but they don’t really address the fundamental issue of using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Adding and editing non-linear content 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 content to look ”perfect” quickly, this can become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your pages?
Now, imagine this …
- You see something in your content that needs to be changed so you, simply click on the content and start editing it. Your content is then instantly fixed.
- You simply drag and drop elements on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally translate HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for some content you would like to add, so you immediately begin typing, and you build your web page as you go, with no delays, no switching tabs, and without having to wait for edits to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to create content for your web site? A true WYSIWYG content editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your page?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages ”on the fly” for your web content with no 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 – The Simplest Way To Build Stunning Content And Beautiful Layouts In WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive click-to-edit drag and drop content and page creator for WordPress.
Thrive Content Builder provides WordPress users with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding content to WordPress websites.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with a menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to your WordPress site)
The Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages 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.
We’ll take an in-depth look at all of the above and how these exciting features work together to help you easily transform and improve your web presence and create amazing sales pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin
You can easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every element of your web page can be configured using ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” …
Once elements have been positioned on a page, you can then further customize or edit these without having to go through multiple steps or switching screens …
The built-in functionality of the plugin also lets you create stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that you will never look back once you start using it
Go here to learn more about this plugin: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin we’ve previously reviewed on this site.
To learn more about using this plugin, go here:
Plugin Benefits
Here we have listed just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of designing pages and creating content for your WordPress website:
Quick And Easy To Install And Implement. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs like any other WP plugin. Just upload it to your Plugin folder via your dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Creation
Thrive Content Builder is simple and intuitive to use and lets you create content in real-time.
A Truly Visual Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “backend” as you work within the editor – typefaces, elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits of this plugin include the following:
- Add Attractive Web Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Customizable Elements Included: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get an exciting and easy-to-use drag and drop WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a jaw-dropping collection of design elements that you can add to your pages without using shortcodes, like content toggle, table of contents builder, dividers, Google Map embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the updates to load frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build content or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Insert, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, columns, borderless content, page section dividers, responsive maps, etc.)
Plugin Features
Thrive Content Builder provides website owners many features. Here are just a few:
- All WordPress Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the built-in WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, centering text, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements to your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with various eye-catching and customizable elements that will help you increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, 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 mobile-friendly columns, text boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you add animated page elements, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Templates
Landing page template sets are 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 plugin lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your site)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money building web pages for your WordPress web site
- 100% conversion-optimized web pages
- No tech skills needed
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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, conversion optimized landing page templates 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 over thirty templates available, with more templates scheduled for future release. In addition to the available templates, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template
Normally, in order to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either pay a web developer 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 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 attractive pre-designed web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and customize any element of your page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can:
- Modify text in any bullet point, headline, button, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of your landing page
- Replace all background images or color
- Change the color of links, buttons, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Change the size of the content area
- Change the order of elements on your pages
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any type of custom content anywhere in your pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change and edit any element of the page templates)
Transform Your Website Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin combo includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully editable two-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your content pages …
(Add opt-in forms and animated elements to your pages with Thrive Lightbox)
Thrive Lighbox 2-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process can improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on a button or image, and then 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 opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover 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 out, slide in from right to left, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your WordPress website with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over all events, triggers and design.
Testimonials From Customers
Below are a couple of the testimonials customers have submitted 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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”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”
Useful Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with the Thrive Landing Pages plugin. Note, however, that you cannot use Thrive Content Builder to edit content that was 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 you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages comes with free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive products are well-supported, and users get unlimited updates, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, complete refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps 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 License – This enables you to use the plugin on one web site only. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites License – This edition lets you activate the plugin on unlimited domains that you personally own. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – This allows you to install the plugin on all of your own websites and your client websites. It includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: The cost to purchase this product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The above reflects the current price when this content was published. This may or may not be the actual price set by the software author when you visit the product site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for the latest price here:
Additional Info
The Thrive Content Builder plugin developers 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 beautiful, pre-designed templates that help to speed up content creation, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over your design process and the freedom to change everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For a demo video of the plugin, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer help desk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
Our Recommendation …
If you want to edit something, you just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you can see the change happen immediately. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
To learn more, visit the plugin website:
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