WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool being used to create all types of web sites.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will discover the simplest way to build stunning content in WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The WordPress Visual Content Editor Still Meet All Of Your Content Creation And Editing Needs?
Using the WordPress visual content editor to create or edit sophisticated page layouts can be challenging for non-technical WordPress users.
(The built-in WordPress WYSIWYG editor is great for adding, formatting and editing conventional content, but adding more complex content elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the layout shown below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, you would need to add short codes to your content for each of the page elements you want to display on your web page …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you decide to reconfigure your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the background color inside a box from dark green to light blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
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 edit complex page elements, often what you see may not be what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, users could be better off working with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to build something other than simple 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 of using HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress editor can be summarized by asking the following questions:
1) Speed – How long does it take to build a web page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” 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 editor looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that users need to mentally translate 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 tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is coming along, which then affects how quickly you can create your content, as you wait for pages to load.
Many WordPress web developers have tried to come up with different solutions with the goal of making content editing easier. Some of these range from WP plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that come with 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 complex page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these editors work, but they still don’t address the fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating, 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 to create or edit complex page content quickly, this can start to become really frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web pages?
Now that you’ve asked this question, visualize the following scenario …
- You look at your content and if you see something that needs fixing, just click on the content and start writing. Your content is instantly fixed.
- You just 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 any code.
- You have an idea for an item of content you would like to add, so you simply start typing, and your web page gets built as you go, without delays, with no tab switching, and without waiting for new web pages to reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to build content for your WordPress site? A true WYSIWYG content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts 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 Landing Pages And Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag And Drop Content Building Plugin For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content creation plugin.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of creating amazing content on your WordPress website.
Once installed, Thrive Content Builder adds a visual content editor and an item menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new editor to WordPress)
The Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder plugin is actually a combination of the Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages plugins merged into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
Let’s take an in-depth a look at all of the above and how all of this powerful functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your web site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder
This plugin lets you easily add content to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your page can be created, edited and rearranged with “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” ease …
Once you have positioned elements on the page, you can continue to further customize or edit these without having to go through multiple steps or complicated configuration screens …
You can also build beautiful landing pages that can also be easily edited …
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 the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
For more details, visit the plugin site here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another terrific plugin that we have previously recommended on this site.
See this article to learn more about using this plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Here we have listed just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Ready To Use In Minutes
Thrive Content Builder is really easy to install. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your dashboard and activate.
Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple and intuitive to use, it also lets you edit and build content in real-time.
What You See Is Truly 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 plugin benefits include the following:
- Stunning Web Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease: Create any layout you can imagine with intuitive drag and drop functionality.
- Add Customizable Elements With No Short Codes Involved: With the Thrive Content Builder plugin you not only get a visually exciting drag and drop WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a collection of professional web design elements that you can insert into your layouts without using short codes, for e.g.: pricing tables, star ratings for review pages, page section dividers, custom HTML and CSS, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to constantly switch tabs as you tweak your content and then wait for your updates to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you build or edit your content or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Easily create, edit and customize page elements like testimonials, content toggle, borderless content, section dividers, responsive videos, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WordPress users many powerful features. Here are just a few:
- All Content Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the regular WordPress editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, paragraph centering, headings and font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with various attention-grabbing 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 customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Web Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, text boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will resize and display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation To Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you create animation in images, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your 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 from initial signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages plugin lets you easily add conversion-optimized web pages to your website)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating and customizing web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No coding skills needed
- Works with all themes
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of beautifully designed, conversion optimized 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 30+ templates available, with more templates planned for future release. In addition to the existing templates, the developers plan to release new web page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, lesson pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Completely Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Normally, in order to have a fully customizable landing page template, you would need to either pay a web site developer 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 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 stunning pre-built web page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change or edit any element of your page template …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can:
- Edit text in all bullet points, headlines, buttons, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other element of your landing page
- Change the background image or background colour
- Edit the color of text, buttons, links, etc.
- Select your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Change the size of the content area
- Change the order of web page elements
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere in the pages
- Use pre-designed, customized pages, or create your own from scratch and save them as new page templates.
(Change or edit any element of the page)
Transform Your Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin combo includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable 2-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your site …
(Add opt-in 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. Visitors click on a button or image, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Opt-in forms help increase your conversion rates.)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when your visitor clicks or hovers 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 attention-getting elements on your page, using various effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from right to left, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages 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.
User Testimonials
Here are some of the testimonials and feedback plugin 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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”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 – 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 that was not created with the plugin installed.
You can add WordPress short codes inside the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will be displayed correctly on your website.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin comes with free updates, new landing templates and upcoming features. The Thrive team is constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive software is very well-supported, and users get unlimited software upgrades, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, 100% money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users that will just keep getting better.
Product Cost
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 allows you to run the plugin on 1 site only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This option enables you to run the plugin on unlimited domains that you personally own. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency License – This license enables you to activate the plugin on all of your own websites and your client domains. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: Pricing for Thrive Content Builder depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the price at the time this article was written. This may not be the actual pricing set by the plugin developer 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 current pricing information here:
Additional Plugin Information
The developers of the Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder plugin 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 the time-saving benefits of ready-made web page elements and template sets that help to speed up page design and content creation, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over the design process and the ability to change anything and everything on your web page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, which lets you see how the content you are working on will appear to visitors after publishing.
For a demo video of the plugin, including installation instructions and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive plugins website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, just 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 overly complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing 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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