WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool to a tool that is now being used to create all kinds of sites.
Whatever you can imagine, someone is bound to be already building it with WordPress!
In this article you will discover the fastest way to create stunning content in WordPress.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
The WordPress Visual Content Editor – Is There An Easier Way For Designing Stunning-Looking Web Pages In WordPress?
Using the built-in WordPress WYSIWYG content editor to create or edit complex content elements can be quite challenging for non-technical web site owners.
(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, if you look at the image below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, you would have to insert short codes into the content for every single element you want to create …
Typically, this is not really an issue … until you want to change a fundamental aspect of the layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or change the button in box 1 from dark green to another colour. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code or html.
The WordPress editor is supposed to provide users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG content editor, but as you can see, if you are trying to edit more complex content elements, often what you see may not be the same as what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some situations, you could be better off working inside the text editor tab instead of the WordPress visual editor when trying to add something other than simple page elements …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it hard for WordPress users with no coding skills to have full control of their own content.
The fundamental challenge of using shortcodes and HTML to create content in the default WordPress WYSIWYG editor can be summarized by asking 2 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 “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above screenshot, what you see when working in the back end looks nothing like what you see in the front end. This means that you need to mentally translate what the content will look like when working with sophisticated layouts. Other solutions require a number of 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 content to refresh.
A number of WordPress web developers have tried to come up with a range of solutions with the aim of addressing this issue. Some of these solutions range from stand alone plugins you can install on your site that add new functionality to the editor, to themes that offer built-in features like drag and drop editing …
(WordPress “drag and drop” editors aim to make creating complex content easier!)
Some solutions combine so many complex page-building features, that users end up with complicated-looking front end editors …
Many of these editors work fine, but they don’t really seem to address the fundamental problem with using HTML and shortcodes 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 to create or edit complex page layouts 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, visualize the following …
- You see something in your content that needs correction so you, simply click on the content and start typing. Your content is then instantly edited.
- 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 abstract from HTML or shortcodes.
- You have an idea for some content you’d like to create, so you just begin typing, and your web page gets built on the fly, with no delays, no tab switching, and without having to wait for pages to republish and reload.
Would that not be the perfect way to build content for your website? A true WYSIWYG content builder where all you have to do is click-to-edit and drag and drop elements around the posts and pages?
(Imagine being able to create complex page layouts quickly 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 Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content And Page Builder Plugin
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a ground-breaking plugin for WordPress that gives you total control over every aspect of your web page using true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin is a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding content to WordPress web sites.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with an item menu that lets you click, then drag and drop design elements on 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 combined into one, plus an additional plugin feature called Thrive Lightbox.
We will examine all of the above plugins and how these features work together to help you transform and improve your site and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content.
Thrive Content Builder Plugin For WordPress
This plugin lets you easily build complex web page design layouts using drag and drop elements …
Every aspect of your web page can be configured, changed and repositioned by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been positioned on your page, you can then edit or customize these without having to go through additional steps or switching screens …
The built-in Thrive Landing Pages also lets you build highly attractive 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, designing web pages and working on content with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so effortlessly simple, that the developers warn that you’ll never look at the process of creating content the same way once you start using it
More info: 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 we’ve reviewed on this site.
Go here to learn more about using the plugin:
Plugin Benefits
Here we have listed just some of the benefits of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up content creation:
Installation Is Easy, Simple And Quick
Thrive Content Builder installs just like every other plugin. Just upload a zip file that contains the plugin to your Plugins folder via your admin user login and activate.
Edit & Create Content In Real Time
Thrive Content Builder is really simple and intuitive to use and lets you create and add content to your web pages in real-time.
What You See Is Really What You Get
With Thrive Content Builder installed, what you see on the “backend” as you work within the content editor – typefaces, elements, page layouts, etc. is exactly what your visitors will see on the front end of your site.
Some 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 Customizable Elements With No Short Codes Required: With Thrive Content Builder you not only get a click-to-edit WordPress content builder, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of customizable web design elements that you can customizable and insert into your layouts without using shortcodes, for e.g.: columns, content reveal feature, dividers, responsive videos, etc.
- Ideal For Non-Technical Users: Not having to deal with technical stuff for for your updated content to refresh 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.
(Easily insert, edit and customize page elements like testimonial boxes, flat design elements, content boxes, page section dividers, code insert boxes, etc.)
Features
Thrive Content Builder provides many features to WordPress users. Below we have listed just a few:
- Built-In Content Editor Functionality Is Preserved: You have all of the built-in text editing options that you are used to (e.g. underline, justified text, font sizes, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Multi-Style Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of multi-style elements available on your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of eye-catching 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 being customizable, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Element Design: Add mobile-friendly elements like column layouts, boxes, dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: The Event Manager feature lets you add animated page content, 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 signup to purchase, product download and more.
(Thrive Landing Pages gives you conversion-optimized page templates)
Thrive Landing Pages – Benefits
- Hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money creating web pages for your site
- 100% conversion-optimized page templates
- No coding skills required
- Works with any WordPress theme
Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder not only can be used to create beautiful-looking 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 being worked on. In addition to the templates shown above, expect to see new templates in the future for email lead generation, sales pages, training pages, personal branding pages, webinar pages and more.
Fully Customizable Landing Page Template Sets
Normally, to be able to fully customize a landing page template, you would need to either pay a web site designer 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 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-designed pages that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change or edit anything on your page templates …
With the landing page template sets included with this plugin, you can:
- Modify text in all buttons, bullet points, headlines, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other part of the landing page
- Change all background images or colour
- Change the color of text, links, buttons, etc.
- Use your own fonts
- Use your own images and graphics
- Edit content area size
- Rearrange the order of page elements
- Translate everything on the page into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content inside your pages
- Start with a blank page and create your own templates, or even build a library of custom landing pages.
(Change and customize any aspect of your page template)
Thrive Lightbox Plugin – Transform Your Site Into A Powerful Marketing Machine
The Thrive package includes Thrive Lightbox, which lets you add fully configurable two-step opt-in forms and animated elements to your website …
(Add opt-in forms and animated objects to your sales pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
2-Step Opt-in Forms
A 2-step opt-in process helps to improve your conversion rates. Visitors click on a button or image, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Opt-in forms can improve your conversion rates.)
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 an image, 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 various effects (e.g. zoom out, slide in from top to bottom, roll out, 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.
Feedback From Users
Below are a few of the testimonials and feedback that customers have published about 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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“I’m blown away by the plugin. Keep up the incredible, WordPress changing work, guys! Dean Phillips”
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 on pages or posts that were not created with the plugin.
You can add WordPress shortcodes inside Thrive Content Builder or Thrive Landing Pages and they will be displayed correctly when published.
Thrive Lightbox works with any content built using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 software is very well-supported, and users get lifetime updates, plus one year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, thirty day, full money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product that just keeps getting better.
Product 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 Edition – This lets you use the plugin on a single site. Price includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This option lets you activate the plugin on all of your personal sites. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $87.00.
- Agency Edition – This license lets you activate the plugin on all of your own websites and your client web sites. Includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Please Note: Pricing details of Thrive Content Builder can vary, depending on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. The price above was current at the time this review was published. This may or may not be the actual price set by the software seller when you visit the website and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after purchasing.
Check the plugin’s website for current pricing details:
Additional Plugin Info
The developers of the Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages 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 time-saving features like ready-made web page elements and conversion-optimized template sets that help speed up your 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 page, using the plugin’s visual content editor, that allows you to work unhindered by overly complicated steps.
For ”how to” videos showing plugin usage, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support help desk, contact details and more, visit the Thrive Content Builder website.
We Highly Recommend This …
If you want to edit something, you 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, all you have to do is simply drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no complicated steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your business online and create amazing marketing pages, streamlined landing pages and engaging content, Thrive Landing Pages and Content Builder delivers an incredible conversion-boosting package with a single, inexpensive plugin.
For more information, visit the plugin website:
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