WordPress has evolved from being just a simple blogging tool into a tool being used to design all types of pages – landing pages, product showcase pages, business pages, etc.
Whatever you can imagine, somewhere around the world someone is most likely already building it with WordPress!
This article will help you discover how to create stunning content faster with drag & drop ease in WordPress sites.
Drag & Drop Content Editors For WordPress
Does The Default WordPress Editor Still Meet All Of Your Web Design Needs?
With all the rapid improvements that WordPress has gone through in recent years, many WordPress developers feel that using the WordPress content editor to build or edit complex content elements can be challenging.
(The built-in WordPress content editor is great for adding, formatting and editing “linear” content, but adding complex page elements can be challenging!)
For example, if you look at the screenshot below …
To create the above boxes with text and buttons, you would need to add short codes to your content for each element you want to display …
Typically, this is not an issue … unless you decide to change your layout (for example, move part of the content from box 3 into box 2, or replace the background colour inside a box from bright red to blue. Then, you’re stuck having to mess around with page code.
The WordPress content editor is supposed to provide users with an easy-to-use WYSIWYG editor, but as you can see, when working with complex page elements, often what you see in the visual editor is not exactly what you get …
(“What You See” isn’t always “What You Get” … unless you can visualize code!)
In some instances, some people argue that users would probably be better off working directly with the source html itself instead of the WordPress WYSIWYG editor when trying to build something other than simple layouts …
Even though WordPress is extremely easy to use, this makes it difficult for non-technical website owners to fully manage their own content.
The fundamental challenge of using HTML and shortcodes to create content in WordPress can be summarized as follows:
1) Speed – How long does it take to create a page using the editor?
2) Abstraction – How closely does the content in the ”back end” match the “front end” content when you are creating or editing a page?
As you can see from the above screenshot, what you see in the editor looks nothing 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 a number of steps before you can begin configuring your page layout, or endlessly switching browser tabs and performing updates to see how your content is progressing, which interrupts the creative process, as you wait for the content to refresh.
Many WordPress web developers have come up with a range of solutions with the goal of making content editing easier. These solutions range from WP plugins you can install on 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 require so many complex page-building features, that users need to learn how to work with complicated-looking front end content editors …
Many of these solutions work, but they don’t address the fundamental problem with using HTML and shortcodes 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 layouts quickly, this can start to become really frustrating after a while.
Ask yourself this …
If there were no technical constraints, how would you like to build and edit your web pages?
Now, 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 has been instantly changed.
- You simply drag and drop elements on the page, and see them exactly as they will display on the front end without having to mentally translate code.
- You have an idea for an item of content you’d like to create, so you simply start typing, and you build your web page as you go, without delays, no tab switching, and without waiting for new content to refresh and reload.
Would that not be the ideal 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 pages and posts?
(Imagine being able to create complex web page layouts in real-time 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 Landing Pages And Content Builder – Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Editing Plugin For WordPress
Plugin Description
Thrive Content Builder is a unique WordPress plugin that allows you to easily create stunning content pages using true click-to-edit and drag and drop simplicity.
The Thrive Content Builder plugin provides you with a new and exciting way to speed up the process of adding amazing content to your WordPress website.
Once installed, the plugin adds a visual content editor with a sidebar menu that lets you select, then drag and drop elements to your page …
(Thrive Content Builder adds a new visual editor to WordPress)
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.
Let’s examine all of the above and how all of this powerful functionality works seamlessly together to help you transform and improve your web site and create amazing marketing pages and content.
Thrive Content Builder – WordPress Click-To-Edit Drag & Drop Content Creator
You can easily add content to your web pages and build complex page layouts using drag and drop elements …
Everything on your web page can be created by dragging and dropping things around the page and then clicking to edit them …
Once elements have been positioned on a page, you can then further customize or edit them without going through multiple steps or complicated settings windows …
You can also create stunning landing pages that can just as easily be edited or customized …
Thrive Content Builder is simple, easy to use, and ideal for all WordPress users at all levels. In fact, working on content with Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages installed is so amazingly easy, that the developers guarantee that once you start using it, it’ll ruin the experience of using all other content editors forever, and you’ll never look back!
Learn more about this plugin here: Thrive Content Builder
The integrated Thrive Content Builder plugin was created by the same team that developed Thrive Leads, another amazing plugin that we have written about on this site.
Go here to read more about the plugin:
Benefits Of Using Thrive Content Builder And Landing Pages
Here we have listed just some of the benefits and advantages of using Thrive Content Builder to speed up the process of creating content for your WordPress web site:
Quick Installation
Thrive Content Builder installs like any WordPress plugin. Simply upload the plugin file to your Plugins folder via your administrator area and activate.
Real-Time Content Content Creation
Thrive Content Builder is is not only very simple to use, it also lets you create, edit and add content right inside your pages in real-time.
What You See Is Really What You Get
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 you get on the front end of your site.
Additional benefits and advantages include:
- Create Attractive Page Layouts With Drag & Drop Ease: Create any type 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 builder, but the plugin also includes a very decent collection of customizable design elements that you can add to your web pages without using shortcodes, like tabbed content, content reveal feature, page section dividers, credit card icons, etc.
- Distraction-Free Content Creation: Not having to deal with technical stuff, or having to wait for your content to load frees up your attention and allows you to be more focused while you work or click through multiple layers of menus to get what you need done.
(Easily insert, edit and customize web page elements like testimonial boxes, columns, table of contents builder, buttons, custom HTML and CSS, etc.)
Thrive Content Builder Features
Thrive Content Builder provides web site owners many powerful features. Below we have listed just a few of these:
- All WordPress Content Functionality Is Preserved: You have access to all of the built-in text editing options that you are used to (e.g. underlines, paragraph formatting, heading styles, etc.),
- Drag And Drop Elements: The plugin makes a “drag and drop” table of elements available on your post or page screen when editing content.
- Conversion-Boosting Elements: The plugin includes a range of attention-grabbing and customizable elements that will help increase your conversions, including buttons and call-to-action elements, testimonial boxes, and guarantee forms. In addition to customization options, multiple design options are also available for various elements.
- Responsive Design: Add responsive columns, boxes, content dividers, e.g. which will adjust to display great on different device screens.
- Add Animation Events To Pages: Thrive Content Builder’s Event Manager feature lets you create animation in buttons, trigger lightboxes and more!
(Add Animated Elements To Your Web Pages)
Thrive Landing Pages – Landing Page Sets
Landing page sets are 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 add conversion-optimized pages to your web site)
Thrive Landing Pages Plugin – Benefits
- Everything is hosted on your own WordPress site
- Save time and money building web pages
- 100% conversion-optimized landing page templates
- No technical skills required
- Works with any theme
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages not only lets you create beautiful-looking content in your WordPress posts and pages, but you can also choose from dozens of professionally designed, conversion optimized web page templates and fully customizable …
(Landing page sets that work together logically and use the same conversion-optimized design language)
There are over 30 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.
Fully Customizable And Flexible Landing Page Template
Normally, to be able to have completely customizable landing page templates, 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 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 page templates that are fully optimized and ready to go, and complete design freedom that lets you change and customize any element of your page template …
The landing page template sets included with this plugin let you do the following:
- Modify text in all headlines, buttons, bullet points, etc.
- Delete text, images or any other component of the landing page
- Change all background images and background colors
- Change the color of links, text, buttons, etc.
- Choose your own fonts
- Select your own images
- Change the size of the content area
- Change the order of web page elements
- Translate pages into a different language
- Add any kind of custom content inside your pages
- Start with a blank web page and create your own templates, or even build a library of custom landing pages.
(Change and edit any element of your page template)
Transform Your WordPress Website Into A Marketing Machine With Thrive Lightbox
The Thrive plugin package includes the Thrive Lightbox plugin, which lets you add fully customizable two-step opt-in forms and events to your content pages …
(Add opt-in forms and events to your web pages with the Thrive Lightbox plugin)
Thrive Lighbox Two-Step Opt-in Forms
A two-step opt-in process helps increase your conversion rates. Visitors click on an image or button, and then they are presented with your opt-in form …
(Capture more leads and subscribers with a 2-step opt-in process)
Thrive Lightbox Event Manager
An “event” consists of a trigger and an action. You can make opt-in forms appear when when visitors click or hover their mouse 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 images on your page, using various animation effects (e.g. fade in, slide in from top to bottom, rotate, etc.
(Set up and manage events on your sales pages with Thrive Lightbox)
A lightbox and event is created automatically for your landing pages, but you also have complete control over events, triggers and design.
User Feedback
Here are just a few of the testimonials customers have provided for the Thrive Content Builder plugin:
“I have had nothing but the best experience imaginable with this tool since I purchased it. This is by far one of, if not the best plug-in I have purchase to date and it has definitely made working with WordPress a whole new experience. Jim Bond”
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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 Plugin – 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.
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 you build using Thrive Content Builder.
Support
Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages Plugin provides 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 really well-supported, and users get lifetime software updates, and 1 year unlimited support with their purchase, backed by a no-risk, 30 day, complete money-back guarantee.
This is an exciting product for WordPress users 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 enables you to configure the plugin on 1 website only. Includes full feature set, unlimited updates and one year of unlimited support. Price = $59.00.
- Unlimited Sites Licensing – This allows you to use the plugin on all of your personal sites. Pricing includes full feature set, unlimited updates and 1 year of unlimited support. Cost = $87.00.
- Agency Licensing – This lets you set up the plugin on all of your own web sites and any client domains. It includes access to Thrive Content Builder, plus all Thrive Themes & Thrive Plugins. Cost = $247.00 per year.
Note: Pricing details of the product depends on whether there are any promotions or limited-time specials being offered. Currently, the software is being retailed for the amounts shown above. This may not be the actual price set by the software seller when you visit the site and you may be shown additional upsells or one-time offers after your purchase.
Check the plugin’s website for the current pricing details:
Additional Information
The Thrive Content Builder and Landing Pages plugin developers 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 page elements and beautiful, conversion-optimized templates that help to make designing your content faster, and on the other hand, you also have 100% control over the design process and the freedom to edit and customize everything on your page, using the plugin’s click-to-edit and drag and drop features, that allows you to see how the content you are working on will look on the “front end” when published.
For demo videos showing plugin usage, including help documentation and tutorials, FAQs, support helpdesk, contact details and more, visit the plugin website.
We Recommend …
If you want to edit something, simply click on the element and start editing. If you want to change something, do it, and you can see the change happen instantly. If you want to move something, just drag it and drop it into its new position. There are no extra steps involved.
If you want to transform and improve your website 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 more details, check out the plugin here:
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