WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool that is now being used to design all types of pages – marketing pages, portfolio pages, local business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is bound to be already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover how to create beautiful web page layouts with drag & drop ease in WordPress sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress WYSIWYG Editor Still Meet All Of Your Page Design Needs?
With all the rapid developments that the WordPress platform has gone through in recent years, many WordPress users feel that using the default WordPress editor to create or edit more complex website pages can be quite challenging.
(The WordPress editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional text and images, but adding complex page elements can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the image below …
Adding the above page elements would require adding something that looks like this in the default WordPress content editor …
Typically, this is not really an issue … unless you decide to reconfigure the layout (for example, move some of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 1 from bright red to yellow. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to give users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to add complex page elements, what you see on your screen may not be the same as what you are getting when your web page goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, you could even be better off working with the html source itself instead of the visual editor when trying to create non-linear page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it hard for non-technical website owners to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental challenge about having to use shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” match the content in the “front end” when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above, what you see in the editor does not look anything like what you see in the front end. This means that users have to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with complex layouts. Other solutions require several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly going back and forth between 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 reload.
A number of WordPress developers have come up with various solutions aiming to make the visual editor easier. Some of these alternative solutions range from plugins you can add to your site that add new functionality to the editor, to WP themes that include built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make content creation easier!)
Some solutions combine 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 HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Adding and editing 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 web pages to look “just right” quickly, this can start to become quite frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web page builder to behave?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs to be fixed, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content is then instantly fixed.
- You 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 visualize code.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you’d like to create, so you just begin typing, and your web page gets built as you go, with no delays, without switching tabs, and no waiting for new web pages to refresh.
Would this not be the perfect way to create content for your site? Just click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex web pages quickly 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 Plugin – Create Beautiful Web Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag and drop content creation plugin.
Thrive Content Builder provides you with a new and exciting way to set up conversion-focused pages on any 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 page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new content editing option to WordPress)
Thrive Content And Landing Page Builder 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 a look at each of the above plugins and how all of this exciting functionality works together to help you transform and improve your site and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Builder For WordPress
You can easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your web page can be created using simple ”click-to-edit” and “drag and drop” …
Once you have positioned elements on a page, you can continue to further customize these without having to go through additional steps or switching tabs …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you build 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, designing pages and working on content with the Thrive Content Builder plugin installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers warn that once you start using it, it’ll ruin the experience of using all other content editors forever, and you will never look back!
Go here to learn more: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another great plugin for WordPress we’ve previously written about on this site.
Go here to read about the plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Here we have listed just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Easy To Install
Thrive Content Builder installs just like every plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your WordPress dashboard and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Editing
Thrive Content Builder is is not only really simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you edit and add content right inside your web pages in real-time.
A Truly Visual Content Editor
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “back end” as you work within the editor – fonts, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see in the front end of your site.
Additional benefits include:
- Add Stunning Page Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Add Design Elements Without Using Short Codes: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a visually exciting click-to-edit WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a collection of design elements that you can customizable and add to your content layouts without using short codes, for e.g.: pricing tables, content reveal feature, testimonials, Google Map embeds, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff for for your updated 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 layers of menus to get what you want done.
(Create, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, flat design elements, feature grids, call to action buttons, credit card icons, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many features to web site owners. Below we have listed just some:
- Built-In WordPress Content Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the built-in WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold formatting, paragraph formatting, headings, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements Menu: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” list of elements available on your post or page screen for creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonials, and guarantees. In addition to being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Element Design: Add mobile-friendly columns, boxes, section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Web Pages: The plugin’s Event Manager feature lets you add animations, 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you conversion-optimized web page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time building stunning pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No coding skills needed
- Works with any WordPress theme
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, 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 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.
Completely Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Typically, in order to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either pay a web 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 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 great-looking pre-built page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and edit any aspect of your page …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Change text in all bullet points, buttons, headlines, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change all background images and edit colours
- Edit the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images
- Edit the size of the content area
- Change the order of page elements
- Translate pages into different languages
- Add custom content in any of the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own pages from scratch and save them as new web page templates.
(Change and customize anything on your page template)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine
The Thrive plugin combo includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully editable 2-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your WordPress site …
(Add lead capture forms and animated objects to your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps improve your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Visitors click on a button and 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 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 pages, using a range of effects (e.g. fade out, slide in from top to bottom, roll in, 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 events, triggers and design.
Feedback From Users
Below are just some testimonials that users have published 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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”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 WordPress theme, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. 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 Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will display correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages comes with free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive plugins are really well-supported, and users get unlimited software upgrades, plus 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, 100% refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep getting better.
Plugin 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 license option lets you install the plugin on a single web site. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Edition – This edition lets you set up the plugin on unlimited sites that you personally own. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – Use on all your sites and on client web sites. Cost includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: The price of the Thrive Content Builder product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Currently, the product is selling for the amounts shown above. This may or may not be the actual price set by the software author when you visit the site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Info
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 time-saving features like ready-made page elements and conversion-optimized templates that help to speed up the content creation process, and on the other hand, you have complete control over your design process and the ability to change everything on your web page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you see how the content you are working on will look on the “front end” after publishing.
For a demo video of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
Download This Plugin …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you will see the change happen instantly. 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 web presence and create awesome marketing pages and content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For full details, visit the plugin website:
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