WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging application to a tool that can be used to create all types of web sites.
Whatever you can think of, somewhere around the world someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover the simplest, most intuitive visual content editor for WordPress web sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Is The Default WordPress Editor Meeting All Of Your Web Design Needs?
With so many developments that the WordPress platform has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers feel that using the default WordPress content editor to build or edit complex website pages can sometimes be quite difficult.
(The built-in WordPress visual content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” text and images, but adding complex layouts can be challenging!)
For example, let’s say you want to create something like the content shown below …
To create the above in your content would require inserting something like this inside the WordPress visual content editor …
Normally, this is not an issue … unless you need to edit something in your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 1 into box 2, or replace the background colour in box 3 from bright red to a different colour. 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 working with complex page elements, often what you see is not the same as what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, you could even be better off working directly inside the html editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to create non-linear layouts …
Even though WordPress is the most user-friendly CMS platform available, this makes it hard for users without knowledge of HTML or CSS to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long will it take to build a web page using this 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, what you see when working in the editor doesn’t look even remotely similar to what you see in the front end. This means that you have to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require a number of steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching tabs and performing updates to see how your content is coming along, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for the updated content to refresh.
A number of WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions with the objective of addressing this issue. These solutions 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 requiring so many page design features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these alternative solutions work, but they fail to address the fundamental problem with using shortcodes and HTML as described earlier. Creating and adding 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 to create or edit complex layouts quickly, this can start to become very frustrating.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like your web content editor to behave?
Now that you’ve asked this question, visualize this …
- You look at your content and if you spot something that needs correction, just click on the content and start writing. Your content is instantly changed.
- You can drag and drop elements around the page, and the page looks exactly as it will display on the front end without having to mentally translate any HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for a specific piece of content you’d like to create, so you immediately begin typing, and your web page gets built on the fly, without delays, without switching of tab browsers, and without waiting for new content to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the ideal way to build content for your WordPress website? A true visual editor where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around your posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex pages quickly 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 Faster And Beautiful Web Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease In WordPress Web Sites
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a truly intuitive WordPress click-to-edit drag-and-drop content creator and editor.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and incredibly easy way to speed up the process of adding amazing content to your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor and a sidebar menu that lets you click, then drag and drop elements to your web page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual content builder to your WordPress site)
The Thrive Landing Pages And Content Builder 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 cover all of the above plugins and how all of this exciting functionality works together to help you easily transform and improve your business online and create amazing sales pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
Thrive Content Builder lets you easily add complex design layouts to your web pages using drag and drop elements …
Every element on your page can be created by ”clicking-to-edit” and “dragging and dropping” things around the page …
Once you have placed your elements on a page, you can then further edit them without having to go through multiple steps or switching screens …
You can also build beautiful 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, designing web pages and working on content with the plugin installed is so amazingly simple, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, it will ruin the experience of using any other content editor forever, and you will never look back!
For more details about the plugin go here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another terrific plugin that we have previously written about on this site.
Go here to read more about this plugin:
Benefits
Here are just a few of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up your page design and content creation process:
Quick And Simple To Install And Configure. Be Up And Running In Minutes.
Thrive Content Builder installs like every WP plugin. Just upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your admin user account and activate.
Build & Edit Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is is not only simple to use, it also lets you create and edit content in real-time.
What You See Is Truly What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “backend” as you work within the content editor – fonts, visual elements, layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Some additional benefits include:
- Add Attractive Web Page 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 click-to-edit WordPress content editor, but the plugin also includes a collection of professional design elements that you can customizable and use on your layouts without using shortcodes, for e.g.: content toggle, table of contents builder, section dividers, HTML code insert boxes, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff for the updates to refresh frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple steps to get what you want done.
(Create, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, tabbed content, gradient boxes, section dividers, responsive Google map embeds, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder offers WP users many powerful features. Below we have listed just a few:
- Regular Content Editor Functionality Is Still Available: You have access to all of the built-in WordPress content editing options that you are used to (e.g. bold formatting, centering text, font styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin adds a “drag and drop” table of elements to your post or page screen when creating or editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin provides you with various attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help you increase the effectiveness of your sales pages, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, various elements also offer multiple design options.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive elements like column layouts, boxes, content section dividers, e.g. which will resize and display correctly on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Your Web Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animations, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Landing Page Sets
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 lets you add conversion-optimized pages to your web site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time creating beautiful-looking landing pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing pages
- No coding skills needed
- Works with all WordPress themes
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only lets you create beautiful content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally 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 over thirty templates available, with more templates planned for future release. In addition to the templates that are currently available, 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
Normally, in order to fully customize landing page templates, you would need to either pay a web 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 beautiful pre-designed page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that allows you to change and edit any aspect of your page template …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can do the following:
- Change text in all buttons, headlines, bullet points, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Change any background images and edit colour
- Edit the color of buttons, links, text, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Select your own images and graphics
- Change the size of the content area
- Rearrange the order of elements on the pages
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add custom content in your pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own templates, or even build a custom landing pages library.
(Change or edit anything on the page template)
Transform Your Web Site Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully editable two-step opt-in forms and events to your web pages …
(Add lead capture forms and animation to your WordPress web site with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps increase your conversion rates. When visitors click on an image or button they are presented with your opt-in form …
(two-step opt-in forms can help improve your conversion rates.)
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 over a button or graphic elements, 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 various effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from left to right, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your web pages with Thrive Lightbox)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over all events, triggers and design.
Testimonials
Here are a few of the testimonials and comments customers have provided for Thrive Content Builder:
”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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”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 WordPress theme, 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 on your website.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin Support
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder provides free updates, new landing pages and upcoming features. The plugin developers are constantly working on adding new features and improving existing ones.
Thrive plugins are very well-supported, and users get lifetime software upgrades, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, 100% refund guarantee.
This is an exciting product that will just keep getting better.
Software 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 license allows you to set up the plugin on 1 website only. Cost includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Cost = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This edition enables you to configure the plugin on unlimited sites that you personally own. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – This license option allows you to use the plugin on all of your own websites and any client websites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Price = $247.00 per year.
Note: Pricing details of Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time special offers. The above reflects the price when this review was written. This may not be the actual pricing charged by the software author when you visit the plugin site and there may be additional upsells or one-time offers after you’ve purchased.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Info
The developers of the Thrive Content and Page Builder plugin 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 web page elements and conversion-optimized templates that help to speed up content design, and on the other hand, you have 100% control over your design process and the ability to edit everything on your page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, which lets you get things done without having to keep switching tabs or going through multiple steps.
For a demo video showing plugin usage, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, customer helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
Install The 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 immediately. If you want to move something, simply drag it and drop it into its new location. There are no unnecessary steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your web presence and create awesome marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Content and Landing Page Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
To learn more, visit the plugin website here:
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