In this article, we are going to cover the six steps involved in how to make a travel blogWhat are they:
- Choose a name for your blog and register a domain.
- Choose a reliable web hosting provider.
- Create a list of potential article ideas.
- Select a blogging platform.
- Find the perfect template.
- Install the plugins you need.
Nowadays, you can easily on any topic you like. However, there are few topics as interesting as travel. Almost everyone loves to go on a trip, see photos of wonderful places and read about exotic places. However, learning how to make a travel blog involves a few key tasks (at least if you want to do it right).
We have a lot of ground to cover and you are probably eager to learn how to make a travel blog. Let’s go for it!
Step 1: Choose a name for your blog (and register a domain)
The first thing a blog needs is a name, and yours will be no exception. Buying a domain name is a highly personal process. However, there are some tips that apply to almost all types of websites.
More specifically, you will want:
- Prefer short names whenever possible. Shorter names are easier to remember, take less work to write, and often sound more catchy.
- Choose a name with a domain .com We’ll talk more about how in a minute. For now, suffice it to say that you should check any potential name for an extension. .com available for this.
- Choose a name that represents the content of your blog. In most cases, you’ll want your blog name to represent the type of content you’ll be posting. It pays to be as specific as possible. “Travel cheap” is a clearer and more useful name than “The travel blog of Juan Pérez”, for example (unless you are famous!).
You probably already have a lot of good name ideas, so write them down in a list. Next, check for domains .com available to them. You can use other top-level domain (TLD) options, but people still tend to trust sites more .comso we recommend that you play it safe.
When you already have the name, the next step to learn how to make a travel blog will be to register a domain. Most web hosting platforms, including , will allow you to do this easily.
domain name checker
Immediately check the availability of the domain name.
Just type in the domain you want to buy and the checker will tell you if it’s available.
Someone has already taken “Travel Cheap”, as you can see below. So you will have to come up with a name on your own. And since we are talking about how to make a travel blog, we recommend that you limit yourself to names that make people think of vacations and rest, or exotic places:
The next step is to add the domain you want to your cart and pay for it. In most cases, a .com domain name will only cost you around €9. Once you buy it, the domain is yours, but you’ll need to renew it every year to keep ownership.
However, most registrars or web hosting providers will let you know in advance when your next domain renewal is, so don’t worry if you forget! Now that you have a domain name ready to go, it’s time to talk about hosting.
Step 2: Choose a reliable web host
When learning how to blog about travel, many people get stuck trying to find the perfect web host. The good news is that web hosting is now so competitive that you should be able to find a great provider, even if you’re on a tight budget.
The real dilemma is that there are plenty of web hosting providers to choose from. Here’s what to keep in mind when trying to identify the best ones. Your hosting provider should offer:
- A wide range of plans. Ideally, your web hosting provider will provide you with affordable starter plans. Plus, it should offer plenty of plan upgrade options for when your travel blog grows.
- High performance and uptime. Your website must be accessible at all times and it must load quickly. That means you’ll want to stick with web hosts that have a reputation for solid performance.
- quality of life characteristics. Nowadays, most of the top-rated web hosting servers offer many features to make your life easier. We are talking about automated backups, website builders, user-friendly control panels, etc.
If you have friends who have their own websites, ask them what web hosting they use and if they are happy with the service.
However, if you don’t know where to start, we recommend taking a look at , which includes a free domain registration if purchased for one year.
Plan Features
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Since you are learning how to make a travel blog from scratch, there is no need to invest in an expensive hosting plan from the start. Our level of shared hosting is more than enough to handle a decent amount of traffic. Plus, you can always upgrade to a more robust plan, like a , once your travel blog gets popular.
Finally, you will probably spend a lot of time traveling to exotic places. Therefore, it is essential that you choose a web hosting provider with one that works 24 hours a day. That way, they’ll be able to help you resolve any issues with your site, regardless of what time zone you’re currently blogging in.
Step 3: Create a list of potential article ideas
At this point, you already have a domain name and web hosting for your travel blog. Now, before you start creating it, we recommend that you sit down and brainstorm possible topics. This way, you can start working when you finish learning how to make a travel blog.
One thing that often happens when someone starts a new blog is that they spend too long in the ‘building’ phase and never get around to writing. Others will post one or two articles on their travel blogs and then stop updating regularly. However, if you have a list of ideas that you want to tackle beforehandyou are more likely to keep going despite the initial downturn.
Additionally, this brainstorming process will also help you decide which direction you want to head your blog in. Do you want to focus on low-cost or luxury travel? Will you talk about specific regions of the world or provide tips for digital nomads? You probably already have an idea of the angles you want to tackle, but this process will help you refine your ideas.
Since we’re talking about travel, here are some questions to spark creativity:
- What are the last trips you have done and why were they special?
- Is there anything you would have liked to know about the places you went before to arrive?
- Do you have any upcoming trips and, if so, how are you planning it?
- Can you share any special tips on places to stay, how to get the most out of your budget, or similar insights based on experience?
Travel blogs allow you to write about all kinds of fun topics. That means you don’t need to pigeonhole yourself when it comes to coming up with new song ideas. It’s a good idea to have a general approach when deciding how to blog about travel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t explore other topics from time to time.
For now, make a list of all the ideas you can think of for blog posts you could write. Then, see what other blogs in your niche are talking about and see if you can offer a new perspective on some of the topics or write articles with better research. When it comes to travel blogging, people expect you to know what you’re talking about. Therefore, experience and research will be your best allies.
At this stage, you don’t need to develop your topic ideas beyond a title and a couple of lines each. Before you sit down and start writing, let’s continue talking about how to make a travel blog.
Step 4: Choose a blogging platform
As you know, there many software options that make it possible to create and manage a blog, even if you have no experience in web development. This type of platform is called a Content Management System (CMS) and you have many free software options to choose from.
, for example, is a flexible CMS that allows you to publish new content, design your website with templates, and even extend its functionality with plugins. With Joomla! you can set up a simple travel blog or add as many features as you like, all for free:
is another option that, among other things, has a reputation for being highly scalable. This means that it can handle both small and huge travel blogs that receive thousands of visitors. However, your web host will still play a big role in how much traffic you can handle, so keep that in mind.
With Drupal – and with Drupal Hosting, which is specifically optimized for this CMS – you can create any type of website you want. In addition, it also supports themes and extensions. Although, this platform can be a bit difficult to learn, unless you have a basic background in web development:
And finally, there is . This platform is basically the queen of CMS and almost the . So it is correct to say that it is a popular choice. If we look at the reasons why people prefer WordPress, we find that the platform is incredibly easy to learn, even if you are still learning how to make a travel blog:
In addition to its ease of use, WordPress offers more customization options than almost any other CMS. You have thousands of free plugins and themes to choose from, for example, as well as many premium options.
If you are one of our regular readers, you know that we are huge fans of WordPress. In fact, the blog runs on WordPress, and this article was written using its editor. With the right plugin and theme combination, you can give your visitors just about any web experience you can imagine.
If you just want to have a simple travel blog, you can easily do that. However, with WordPress, you can also allow visitors to book travel through your website, check flight itineraries, and more (we’ll talk more about these features shortly).
For the rest of this tutorial, we will focus on WordPress as the platform of choice when deciding how to create a travel blog. If you want to go through with it, install it through your web hosting provider now. If you’re not sure how to do this, check your hosting provider’s documentation…
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