The ultimate guide to learning how to start a travel blog

Browsing the internet, it's not difficult to come across travel blogs: everyone, at least once, has looked at some post where a travel blogger described his experience in this or that other city.

If many stop there, there are also those who decide that this path is the right one for them. Are you among them? Well, then you must be wondering how to get started on the right foot.

Surely you will have many doubts: costs, timing, website programming... certainly it is not an easy road, but it is not impossible either: a little organization and lots and lots of passion are enough.

It is precisely the latter that, in a few years, will allow you to transform a small blog into a portal appreciated by travelers who surf the web, and who knows, maybe even make it a full-fledged job.

However, this is not an immediate process, and certainly not easy for beginners.

As a web agency that deals with the creation of websites, we try to show you which are the fundamental steps to follow to create a travel blog.

Are you ready? Here's how to start your adventure.

1 ️ ⃣ The choice of name: a fundamental step

Choosing the correct name for a blog is the best way to capture the attention of new users. Find something short and concise that defines you, without overdoing it: this way you will be remembered faster by those who appreciate your content.

When you decide to adopt a certain denomination, also think about the future: many fall into the mistake of being defined by a precise indication, but it is not always possible to predict whether this will change over time. Let me give you an example: if you choose "Two-day adventures" you will necessarily have to dedicate yourself to short trips: what happens if these last longer?

Furthermore, just take a look on Google to see that many blogs use words such as "Travels by", "Travelling with", "Tourists for", and so on: try to use other terms, otherwise you will have to compete with a myriad of other portals. Also pay attention to the English lexicon "Traveler", "Vagabond", "Holiday" can hide the same problem.

2️⃣ The importance of hosting

You have chosen the name and you already see yourself on everyone's lips, but first you need to figure out where to develop your blog. The answer is simple: it's about hosting.

If you are not familiar with this word, just know that it is your personal digital terrain where you can lay the foundations and grow your project step by step, adding text, web pages, photographs and links to social networks.

On the web you will be able to find different hosting services that offer their own space at a certain price according to your needs.

Wait a minute: if at the word "price" you're already tempted to give up everything, don't worry: beginners don't necessarily have to get a mortgage!

3️⃣ WordPress and customization

As soon as you have your little corner of the internet, you have to build the blog: in this case you can use a well-known software, which in many cases you can install directly from the hosting site: WordPress.

This program is also perfect for those who don't know much about programming, as it is simple to use but offers good performance at the same time.

Don't forget: your travel blog must have a custom domain to be truly unique, in the sense that you want the URL to appear as mytravelblog.it and not mytravelblog.wordpress.com.

Also in this case you will have to invest in a plan, which again will cost you around ten euros and will allow you to start off with an edge over those who rely on free but limited solutions.

4️⃣ How to find the perfect theme

You have the name and the website: now you need to choose a graphic dress, and in this case I can assure you that the dress makes the monk, and how! On the web you will find an avalanche of themes for WordPress, even free: but these are solutions that everyone can use, and for this reason you could find yourself with "lookalikes" that would preclude your uniqueness.

You can complement your investment with a paid template that offers you unique themes. More expensive, but certainly effective, is to contact a web agency such as the Insight Agency, which can prepare you a "tailored suit".

5️⃣ Take care of the image with logo and banner

Along with the name and theme, your site should feature a logo and banner to "hang" at the top of every page. Here the same applies as in the previous paragraph: if you want a masterpiece you will have to put your wallet and contact an agency, but at the beginning you can also contact free solutions such as Canva

6️⃣ Install site optimization plugins

Plugins are addons for your site, and they can allow you to take advantage of some features without necessarily having to write code or other programming steps: they are similar to those that, on browsers like Google or Firefox, allow you to perform actions such as capturing screenshots or organize your bookmarks.

There are several blog extensions that allow you to add social buttons such as Facebook like or Instagram share, but be careful not to overdo it: you know when a friend or relative asks you to fix a slow computer and you find a avalanche of useless programs? Plugins work the same way: try to adopt only the bare essentials, usually no more than ten.

7️⃣ All the secrets of blogging

At this point you will have your travel blog ready to be read and visited. How can you make sure it can be recognized by search engines, winning a place on the first page of Google and the like?

Create the most important pages

You'll need to spend some time on the important information first. The "About me" page is where you will introduce yourself to users, telling your story and your passions. On "Contacts" you can put a personal email and, if you want, also one specifically designed for any future collaborations, "Privacy" and "Copyright", however, are two standard pages that you can compose by following the examples already present on the web.

Connect your socials

To make yourself known, a blog is often not enough: you must also have a page on the most used social networks, namely Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest (the latter above all for photographs). Remember that it is very important to take care of each of your profiles carefully, and don't forget to connect them to your blog also through the plugins I told you about.

Curate content

A beautiful graphic design and all the social pages you can create are not enough to make you look good in the eyes of Google: you must also produce valuable content. The ideal starting point is to write at least 1-2 articles a week, using keywords, an orderly structure and captivating language. You don't necessarily have to choose who knows what type of topics: just talk about some interesting aspect of your travels, perhaps delving into aspects such as the gastronomy, culture, art or nature of a certain country. Many bloggers also write pieces about hidden curiosities or little-known experiences of a place: in short, you will find that a good theme is never missing.

Create a newsletter

The newsletter is a crucial step when you want to create a travel blog. It's the ideal way to reach your users and entice them to pay a visit to your site: also in this case you can use different contents, perhaps some previews of your articles, or some curiosities to always explore on the blog. The important thing is to be constant in contacting whoever reads you: on the internet you can find free services such as Mailchimp, which allows you to write to as many as 2,000 email addresses, but there are also paid solutions that offer you more features and customization.