How to Start A Travel Blog in 2016?

Want to start a travel blog without any hassle? Don’t worry here is the solution for you. Basically, anyone can start a travel blog, but the most important thing is that you start a quality blog and it involves investment, time and a lot of effort. On the other hand, if you are not serious about your travel blog and not ready for spending money then you can also start a simple travel blog for your family and friends at WordPress .com as it’s totally free.
Lots of people plan how to start a blog or start a travel blog just to keep their family and friends updated about their travel tips. But if you want more than that and want that more people should read and comment your blog and you can increase the possibility of making money from the same then this is how you should go about starting your blog.
Basically, you need everything to start a successful blog like idea, creation and execution. So choose a name for your travel blog, think of few posts in mind and some tantalizing travel plans on the horizon. Now put together all these to make your dream come true.
How to Start A Travel Blog in 2016?
Below mentioned are the some important steps which will help you in starting your travel blog within an hour and that too without any difficulty:
1. Choose a good name for your travel blog and register it
The first and the most important step in starting your travel blog is to the select the best name for it which will describe your passion about travelling. Finding the best name is the most challenging part of starting a travel blog and it can take several days also. So keep in mind that whatever you will choose will remain with you until you choose to blog because changing it is a real pain.
You need to choose a clever and easy name that will reflect your plans, your niche and of course about the blog you are starting. Now, once you are done with the selection your domain name just move ahead with the process of its registration.
There are few things needs to keep in mind while selecting your domain and these are described as follows:
- The most important thing to be kept in mind while choosing a domain name for your travel blog is that it should short and memorable. Therefore, it should be easy to type, spell, remember and share. Try to complete the name in 10-20 characters and catchy if possible.
- The Second important thing to be kept in mind is that always try to avoid hyphens, and numbers in the in your domain name otherwise you will be forced to explain it to some.
- Always try to avoid overused words and trademarked company names because these types of domain names won’t stand out for long in the travel blogs. You will have better luck for the long term with something original.
2. Host your blog
After you are done with the selection and registration of your domain name, hosting of your blog comes into the picture which plays a very important role in the success of your blog. It doesn’t matter from where you buy the domain name but when it comes to hosting servers it does have a great impact on your blog’s performance. The hosting service is very important because it will affect the speed of your site and its overall capacity that’s why chooses a reputable hosting service.
Basically, hosting is a rented space on the internet where you can store all your blog’s data, photos and files that people around the world can easily see and access it when they type in your domain name. One of the best hosting platform is Bluehost as it has great service, it is cheap, reliable and fast to use. The Bluehost comes with a variety of plans that will suit your needs. It also offers you a free domain name. It also supports a live chat which is very helpful and can fix all your issues in just few minutes.
Below mentioned are the 3 best hosting options out of which you can choose the one which suits your need the best:
There are heaps of hosting options, but I have three thoughts:
- As discussed that Bluehost is one of the best hosting plan, it is also used worldwide. It also comes up with the low cost plans so that everyone can afford it easily. On top of that it has a decent customer service support, best up time server and provides a free domain name also. That is why it is highly recommended.
- Another commonly used and low budget option is Media Temple. If you are low on cash and simply want a secure option, then you easily choose this one. It is basically a mid range hosting platform. It is easy to use and can manage multiple sites on one account which can be helpful for you.
- WebSynthesis is the other good hosting platform, but it is usually for larger sites as its cost is very high on a monthly basis.
After all the above discussion, it is recommended to choose Bluehost only and for starting the Bluehost please go through below mentioned step wise list:
- The first thing to start Bluehost is that just click on the green get started now button on the window.
- Select their starter package as its affordable one, for everyone.
- Now type your domain name in the box.
- After that, fill all your basic details and billing information and just click on submit.
It is done. Now you own a space on the internet and a special place for your new travel blog.
2. Install WordPress for your blog
After domain name and hosting is done, comes the other important step which includes installation of WordPress for your new travel blog. Basically, WordPress is the most popular and commonly used blogging platform nowadays. It is used worldwide because it’s very user friendly and easy to use. On top of that it is free to download and can be done with your hosting account.
On the other hand, it’s completely your choice that you want to download a self hosted WordPress account which means your WordPress software resides on your hosting company’s server or you can also use its free version. WordPress is so popular because with this you can create a website easily without having the knowledge of coding. It also has numerous plugins and themes which can change the entire look of your blog or website.
Now to install WordPress on your blog just login into your Bluehost account which will further take you to your cpanel. After this find the section called website builders and select WordPress.
Now, after this select your domain name and go to show advanced options. In the advanced options just set your username and password for your site. Now lastly, just click on install now option and you are done.
3. Choose a professional theme
This is the another important step in starting your travel blog because it involves designing your blog. If you are serious with your travel blog, then you have to choose the best for it which will attract your readers. WordPress comes with a vast variety of standard themes and designs which also makes your choice easier. Always try to choose a professional theme for your blog. They don’t cost too much, but they will definitely improve the overall look of your website.
Some of the best themes to download for your travel blog are Genesis, Synamik Website Builder, Hard by theme trust, Woothemes and much more. Whichever theme you will select will depend on how you approach your blog and what will the future of your blog. All the above mentioned themes are very flexible and easy to customize while maintaining the speed of your blog. While choosing any theme for your new travel blog, just keep in mind and try to choose the one which is very responsive that means mobile friendly.
4. Set up an email list
After you are done with all things, keep your focus on setting up an email which very important for the success of your travel blog. Basically, an email list is the single most valuable thing that you can have. Nowadays, people are far more likely to see more content from their emails than seeing them by any other social network. On the other hand, email is more safe than any social networking sites. One of the best email service providers is Aweber which easy to download and set up. It is also highly customizable.
5. Start blogging now
All tough part is over and now you can easily start with your first travel blog. Now it’s time to begin creating content for your blog. When you first start publishing content, it is highly recommended that try write at least thrice a week. Take your time and write excellent content with all details of your travel tips, ideas, stories and video tours.
Therefore, this is all about how to start your travel blog. By following the above mentioned steps you can easily start your first travel blog without any hassle.