WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application into a tool being used to design all types of web pages – marketing pages, portfolio pages, business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is probably already building it using WordPress!
In this article you will learn how to create beautiful page layouts with drag & drop ease in WordPress websites.
Drag And Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Content Editor – Is There An Easier Tool For Creating And Editing Content In WordPress?
With so many developments that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers feel that using the default WordPress content editor to create or edit more complex web site pages can sometimes be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding complex page elements can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
Creating the above in your content would require adding something like this into your WordPress content editor …
Normally, this is not an issue … until you decide to change the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button inside box 3 from red to a different color. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with code.
The WordPress visual editor is supposed to give non-technical users an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, when creating with complex page elements, often what you see in the WordPress content editor screen is not what you are getting when the content goes live …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some cases, some people argue that you would probably be better off working directly with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to create fancy page elements …
Even though WordPress is very user-friendly, this makes it difficult for non-technical users to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental challenge of having to use HTML and shortcodes to create content in the default WordPress visual editor can be summarized by asking two questions:
1) Speed – How long does it take to create a web page using this editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the editor 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 when working 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 sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require taking several steps before you can start configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing tweaks and updates to see how your content is progressing, which can interrupt the creative process, as you wait for your content to refresh.
Many WordPress web developers have tried to come up with different solutions to try and address this issue. Some of these solutions range from plugins you can add to 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 including so many page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these alternative editors work, but they don’t really address the fundamental problem with using HTML and shortcodes as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 content quickly, this can start to become quite frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web content?
Now that you’ve asked this question, imagine this …
- You spot something in the content that needs changing so you, simply click on the content and start editing it. Your content has been instantly changed.
- You simply drag and drop items on the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally visualize HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for a specific item of content that you would like to add, so you immediately 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 resave and reload.
Would this not be the ideal way to create content for your site? A true visual content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages ”on the fly” for your web content with no 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 Landing Pages And Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Building Plugin For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a ground-breaking WordPress plugin that gives you total control over every aspect of your content pages with a powerful click-to-edit and drag and drop content editor.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides WordPress users 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 select, then drag and drop elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to your WordPress site)
The 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.
In this article we’ll take an in-depth look at all of the above plugins and how all of this powerful functionality works seamlessly together to help you transform and improve your business online and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder
With Thrive Content Builder easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your page can be built using “drag and drop” and “click-to-edit” …
Once elements have been positioned on a page, you can then continue to customize these without going through additional steps or switching screens …
The built-in Landing Pages editor also lets you create stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, you’ll never look back!
Learn more about the plugin here: Thrive Content Builder
Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Landing Pages were created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another amazing plugin for WordPress that we have recommended on this site.
Go here to read about this plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Below we have listed just a few of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Fast And Simple To Install And Configure. Ready To Go To Work In No Time.
Thrive Content Builder installs just like any regular WP plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugin folder via your WordPress admin user section and activate.
Create & Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only really simple to use, it also lets you build content 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 content editor – fonts, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits and advantages include the following:
- Attractive Layouts With Drag-And-Drop Ease: Create any kind of layout you can imagine with drag and drop ease.
- Design Elements Included: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a visually exciting drag and drop content editor, but the plugin also includes an impressive collection of web design elements that you can customizable and add to your layouts without using shortcodes, for e.g.: tabbed content, borderless content, testimonials, responsive video embeds, etc.
- More Enjoyable Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or wait for your content to reload 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.
(Insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonials, flat design elements, star ratings for review pages, page section dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder offers site owners a number of unique features. Below we have listed just a few of these:
- All Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the regular WordPress text editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold, paragraph centering, headings, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” list of multi-style elements to your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin comes with various eye-catching and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, 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 Element Design: Add responsive elements like columns, boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will display correctly on devices with differently sized screens.
- Add Animation To Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animated page content, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you access to conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money designing and customizing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized web page templates
- No technical skills needed
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Content and Landing Page 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 web 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 planned for future release. In addition to the templates shown above, the developers plan to release new page templates for email lead generation, sales pages, course pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Customize Your Landing Page Template Sets
Typically, to be able to have fully customizable landing page templates, you would need to either hire a web designer 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 mess around with 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 creating conversion-optimized web pages.”
Thrive Landing Pages gives you beautiful pre-built page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or edit anything on the page templates …
With the landing page templates included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Modify text in any button, bullet point, headline, etc.
- Remove text, images or any other part of your landing page
- Change all background images and edit colors
- Change the color of links, text, buttons, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Change the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of elements on the page
- Translate everything on the page into different languages
- Add any kind of custom content anywhere in any of the pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build your own custom landing page templates library.
(Change and edit any element of your page)
Transform Your Website Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox Plugin
The Thrive plugin package also includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and animated objects to your website …
(Add opt-in forms and animated objects to your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
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 …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a 2-step opt-in process)
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 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 effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from top to bottom, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Lightboxes and events are created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over your events, triggers and design.
Testimonials
Here are a few of the testimonials and feedback that users have provided for 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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“I’m blown away by the plugin. Keep up the incredible, WordPress changing work, guys! Dean Phillips”
Thrive Content Builder – Tips
Thrive Content Builder works with any theme in WordPress, not just with Thrive Landing Pages. 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 the Content Builder or Landing Pages plugin and they will display correctly on on your web site.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built with Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive 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 products are very well-supported, and users get lifetime software upgrades, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a risk-free, 30 day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Plugin 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 Edition – This allows you to install the plugin on one website only. Cost includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Edition – This option allows you to run the plugin on all domains that you own. It includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – This license option allows you to install the plugin on all of your own websites and your client sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: The cost to purchase the Thrive Content Builder product can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The pricing above was correct when this review was published. This may not be the actual price charged by the product 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 current pricing information here:
Additional Info
The Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin developers 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 time-saving features like ready-made page elements and conversion-optimized template sets that help speed up your content creation, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over your 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 allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated steps.
For a demo video showing plugin usage, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
Install The Plugin …
If you want to edit something, just click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, you can see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, simply 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 awesome sales pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, this plugin delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For complete details, check out the plugin here:
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