The 8 things you’ll need to create an awesome travel blog
Beyond your awesome writing and pictures, these are the 5 things you’ll need to build your travel blog.
Web hosting – this is the engine that will power your travel blog and make it available to visitors around the world.
Domain name – your blog’s permanent address. For example, ours is themeisle.com.
The free WordPress software – we highly recommend you use self-hosted WordPress, located at wordpress.org. This is different than WordPress.com.
A WordPress theme – once you install WordPress, your theme controls how your travel blog looks.
WordPress plugins – plugins help you add functionality to your site without requiring any technical knowledge. You’ll use them to add maps of where you’ve traveled, travel galleries, and more.
Once we show you how to get those basics set up, we’ll also share some tips for how you can create content, promote it, and maybe even make money from your blog.
How to start a travel blog: step-by-step
Step 1: Pick a niche
There’s a wide choice of travel blog niches to pick from – specific country or area, backpacking, targeted audiences, luxury travel, traveling with kids or pets, and more. Your chances of building a high traffic blog improve if you keep your focus on a few specific areas.
Go with the one you’re most passionate about because you’re in this for the long haul!
Step 2: Select a domain name
Your domain name should be simple and easy to remember.
Using a brand name in the domain may not be an option for you when you’re just starting off. So, you should do the next best thing, select a name that you can build into a brand. Something that’s short, easy to recall, and maybe a bit quirky. Keyword-based names are good too, though you’ll find that most are already taken up.
You could even use your own name if you’re going to maintain a highly personal style throughout your blog. Or, you can use part of your name in a brand – e.g. nomadicmatt.com.
We have some general tips on how to choose a domain name. And if you’re really stuck, you can try using a blog name generator to come up with some ideas.
Step 3: Purchase WordPress hosting and install WordPress
Your hosting is important because it ensures your site loads quickly and is always available to your visitors. There are a ton of quality WordPress hosting services, but a good starting point is SiteGround.
In addition to always scoring well in our annual WordPress hosting survey, Site Ground:
- Is affordable
- Gives you a setup wizard that installs Word Press for you
- Makes it easy purchase your domain name
- Has awesome support if you ever need help
You can choose the cheapest StartUp plan to get started. Then, you just need to follow the simple signup process.
Once you sign up, SiteGround will configure your domain name and install WordPress for you…which means you officially have a working travel blog!
Step 4: Choose a travel blog theme
Your blog’s theme determines how it looks. Luckily, you’ll find a number of free and premium themes, many designed specifically for travel blogs.
When you pick an existing travel blog theme, you’ll instantly get set up with a great-looking travel blog. To help you find such a theme, you can check out lists of the:
- Best free travel themes
- Best premium travel themes
Beyond those lists, here are three specific options to get you started:
- Travel Blog
- The Trip
- Soledad
For example, the Soledad theme has:
- A travel template
- 32 pre-made featured slider styles
- Stylish image galleries with lightbox
- Pinterest and Twitter slider widget
All these built-in features make it super simple to start a travel blog.
To install your chosen theme, visit your WordPress dashboard and click Appearance → Themes → Add New.
To Be Continue Next Part -2
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