Hi there! Today I will share the complete process of how to start a successful travel blog. From niche selection and plugin installation to promotional systems, you can follow. Almost everything that a blogger needs to become a pro blogger.
Trust me, it took months to organize all the information and write this article. Here I will share the most affordable, easiest, and professional option for you. I searched on many websites and YouTube videos to find the perfect alternatives for you. But what I found is they are suggesting options that will earn them commissions.
Why Does This Article Contain 100% Accurate Information?
In my case, I need to gain your trust to convert you into my client. Because my income source is not mainly dependent on affiliate commissions, I’m offering website development services. So, I need to find out the best options and share them with my audience.
I will try to keep this article as short as possible. To make this page short, I will write some topics on different pages and share their links on this page.
What you can learn after reading the full article?
- How to start a successful travel blog
- The first steps to follow
- Options for creating a website ( Envato Theme, Creating from us)
- Required Plugins
- Websites you will need
- Promotional Option
- Article writing assistance
- Pro tips for travel bloggers
How to start blogging?
Before reading this, please read the “Real truth of earning from a blog” posts.
Starting a travel blog is an amazing journey, yet it can be complicated if you have no guidance at first. I can help you if you have a strong determination to share authentic and valuable information with your audience. I don’t like those who share wrong and invaluable information to earn money. Here’s a simple guide not only limited to starting a successful travel blog but also for all categories:
1. The first steps to follow
Choose Your Niche:
Decide what you want to blog about. It could be your passion, hobby, or expertise. Maybe it’s travel, cooking, fashion, technology, or anything else you love. I’ve already discussed about selecting a niche on the blog I mentioned.
Pick a Blogging Platform:
There are many platforms to choose from, like WordPress, Blogger, Shopify, or Wix. WordPress is popular for its flexibility and customization options.
Select a Domain Name:
Your domain name is your blog’s address on the internet (www.yourdomainname.com). Choose something catchy, memorable, and relevant to your niche. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you select the best domain name:
- Keep it Simple: Choose a domain that is easy to remember, spell, and pronounce. Which can stick in people’s minds like peanut butter on toast.
- Reflect Your Brand: Your domain name should reflect your brand identity. It could be your business name, a catchy slogan, or a relevant keyword related to your niche.
- Short and Sweet: Shorter domain names are often easier to type and remember. Plus, it should look clean and more professional to help in marketing.
- Think Long-Term: Consider where you want your website to be in the future. Will your domain still be relevant and representative as your business grows?
- Keyword Optimization: Including relevant keywords in your domain can help with SEO but don’t overdo it. Make sure it still sounds natural and brandable.
If you are having problems with selecting your domain, I suggest you contact someone who is already in the same field. Don’t contact a Digital Marketer or a Web Developer instantly. After getting advice from an established blogger, you can contact a Digital Marketer to do some research and select the best domain name for you.
You can contact me anytime if you are unsure about all of this.
2. Purchase a Domain Name
When you’ve finished domain name selection, it’s time to own your domain and a hosting plan to store your website’s data. Many domain and hosting providers offer a free domain for the first year when you purchase a hosting plan.
If you aren’t able to create your own website, I prefer you to contact a Web Development Service provider to help you with domain and hosting setup, or contact me to get a free hand.
When it comes to the best domain and hosting service provider, there is no other option than Bluehost. You can purchase your domain and hosting from Bluehost without hesitation. This is the cheapest and safest option for a new blogger.
If you purchase from Hostinger, you will get an extra 10% discount. Either click on the link or use this code to get the discount: 1SHEIKH130
3. How To Design Your Blog Site?
Now It’s time to start designing your dream blog. That is the second-most important task after selecting your niche. You have to be more careful while designing your blog. If you read my previous article, you know how much a design matters.
In short, your website design should be professional, matched in color, lightweight for SEO, user-friendly, responsive, mobile-friendly, and SEO-friendly.
Here, you have two alternatives for designing your website. The first one is to create your website on your own, and the second one is to hire a web developer to build your website. It’s up to you how you want to design. Now I’m going to discuss both options.
How to create a blog site on your own?
If you know how to create a blog, you can create one on your own, and if you don’t know how to create a blog but still want to design one on your own to save money, follow these steps:
First, Install WordPress on your hosting and set an admin username and password. It’s easy to install WordPress; just log in to your hosting account, go to the auto-install option, > select the WordPress logo > select your domain name > set username and password, and install it. If you did it wrong, just delete the previous file and install it again.
Then purchase a theme based on your niche from Envato Element. I found a beautiful template for travel bloggers which you can purchase from here, and upload it from WordPress Dashboard (enter this URL on your browser, www.yourdomainname.com/wp-admin, and give your ID, and password to enter) > Appearance > Themes.
Upload and activate the template
Most themes have built-in editors where you can easily edit color, font, style, and many more.
Why I can’t recommend it?
I won’t suggest you, like other bloggers and YouTubers do to create your site yourself when you don’t know coding or block editing. There are many things to consider while designing a blog. The common problem is your valuable time, you will waste a lot of time while creating your blog as you are not experienced in this field. This process will lose your motivation like others.
Other problems are an unoptimized website, poor UI, coding errors, and security issues. At least contact me before doing that. You can’t create a professional website by simply watching a one-hour video or reading a blog post. If it were that easy, no one would hire developers.
When You Need to Hire a Web Developer?
If you don’t know how to build a website or are short on time, you need to hire a web developer. Contact your local web development agencies and check their portfolios before hiring them. I suggest you contact at least 3 agencies to get a better idea. The best way is to get recommendations from other established bloggers.
Around 35%+ of bloggers didn’t succeed because they chose the wrong web developer. To create a professional website, it’s crucial to hire a team with a Web Developer, Graphic Designer, and Digital Marketer. Because a web developer is not a good designer, and most of them don’t know how to create a website based on your targeted audience.
Choosing a development team is costly, around $4,000+ while I have a cost-effective all-in-one solution for you. Go and explore our web development packages and contact me for custom packages.
When you have completed the designing part, you should learn about some essential tools and where to get resources for blogging. I’ve already written about the most essential tools that I’m using to continue my blogging journey and where I get my blogging resources, make sure to read these articles and bookmark them for future needs.
Best Websites for Bloggers
I wish I had known about these websites when I started my blogging journey! Here, I’ve listed the best websites for travel bloggers who just beginning their blogging adventure or are already into content creation. These websites offer invaluable tools, resources, and support to streamline your path to success in the ever-evolving world of blogging.
Which method you can use to promote your travel blog site?
There are several factors to consider in promoting a travel blog site. I can divide them into two categories: paid promotion and organic promotion. Now take a look at both options.
Before we start, let’s know what is DA (Domain Authority).
DA means your domain’s trust score to search engines. Search Engines prioritize your articles based on your DA and the article’s quality. There are several ways to increase DA, like writing quality articles, guest posting, social media sharing, directory submission, and many more. You can hire a Digital Marketer to increase your DA but be aware of spammers.
Using the organic promotional method
Organic promotional methods don’t mean completely free, as you may have heard from others. Organic means your site gets visitors from search engines, social media pages, and other referrals without paying them.
However, you may be required to hire an article writer, a social media manager, or an SEO expert and pay them to use organic promotional methods. Let’s dive into the details of when and how you can use them.
SEO and User-friendly Article Writing
After creating a website, a crucial part comes up which is article writing, the main part of a blog site. Your success depends on how you write articles on your sites. There are several factors you should consider while writing articles.
If you are writing your article on your own, then first you should consider the usefulness of the article and then think of on-page SEO to get organic visitors from search results. If you read my previously shared articles, you will know all the required information, resources, and tools for writing articles.
Social Media Sharing
A great way to connect with your audience on Social Media is by sharing engaging photos, videos, short tips, or updates. If you can follow a proper strategy, you can easily stand your social media platforms. I recommend you create an account on at least 3 social media platforms to share your thoughts and Articles.
By growing a social media platform, you will not only get visitors from there but also help Google increase your search ranking. Google tracks authors’ behaviors, expertise, and site’s visibility from social media platforms.
Contacting Relevant Bloggers for Guest Posting and backlinking
Contacting relevant bloggers for guest posting is another method you can follow to increase your website’s domain authority and get visitors from their site. There are many groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Qura where you can collaborate with other bloggers. You can invite others to write articles for you and add 2-3 links to their website or Ask them to write an article on their site and add 2-3 links to your site to get backlinks.
I invite you to write an article on my site and get 2-3 backlinks in return.
Using the paid promotional method
There are many alternatives come up when considering the paid promotional method. The popular options are Google advertising, social media advertising, buying backlinks (Which is considered illegal by Google and other major search engines), and hiring influencers.
Advertising through Google offers the best results, while social media promotion helps you build a strong, loyal community. Additionally, hiring influencers can be a more cost-effective option.
How do I use AI to write an article?
In this new age, you can’t avoid AI while writing articles. It will speed up your writing by helping you with information, improving your writing quality, and suggesting new ideas. However, you can’t completely depend on AI; you will need it as an intelligent and resourceful assistant.
Draft version: When I write an article about a place, I find that I lose some information from my memory. Previously, I had to search on Google to find those, but now I can ask GPT to provide detailed information about that place, and I pick useful pieces of information and add my suggestions to complete the article.
Improved version by ChatGPT: When I write an article about a place, I sometimes forget certain details. In the past, I had to search on Google to find those missing pieces. Now, I can ask GPT for detailed information about the place and then select the useful parts and add my suggestions to complete the article.
Remember to double-check information, as AI can make mistakes and modify sentences to improve readability.
Pro Tips for Travel Bloggers
If you are just starting a travel blog or want to start but are worried about travel costs, I suggest beginning with Asian countries. South Asian and Southeast Asian countries are much cheaper than you might think.
Many popular bloggers, such as Lost LeBlanc, Jumping Places, and Adventure In You, started their blogging journeys in this region. It’s not only budget-friendly but also offers stunning natural beauty, rich culture, and warm hospitality.
I hope you find this article resourceful. Now you know how to start a successful travel blog and continue it. Again, I’m telling you to book a call for any of your blogging needs. If you are facing a problem, I can help you, as I’m experienced in this field and many of my friends are running their blogs.
