If you’ve ever wanted to start your own travel blog, (or any type of blog), here’s a simple guide on how to do it. Below is a step-by-step walkthrough from setup to completion, without all the stress!
How To Start A Travel Blog In 5 Easy Steps
Pick Out Your Blog Name
It actually took us about 2 weeks of active thinking before we decided on A Global Stroll. Your name is your brand, and you need to pick something you would be proud to represent.
Think about how the name will look on business cards, how the spelling of the domain looks, and how you feel saying the name to strangers.
When choosing your name, try to make it unique, something that will stick out in the readers mind. Your name also could convey what your blog is about, such as “LuxuryTraveler.com”. I’d also recommend choosing a .COM address.
Secure Your Social Media Handles
Before you purchase your domain, make sure your name is available on social media!
Consistency is key, and ideally you want all of your social media names to be identical so your readers can find you easily. Check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Snapchat, etc.
Sign up for hosting
Hosting is the program that sets up and powers your blog. I currently am with Bluehost, and I’m pretty happy with the results so far.
Bluehost has plans for as low as $2.95 a month. Once you pick a plan, type in your domain choice and see if it’s available. A few of my initial names were taken, so it’s better to have some options!
Afterwords, you will put in some basic info. and choose your hosting package. I initially bought 1 year, but later decided to upgrade to 2 years for a discount. I also added Domain Privacy Protection (recommended), as well as Site Backup Pro.
Install WordPress
WordPress enables you to run your blog smoothly and post articles. When you sign up for Bluehost, on your homepage you can use the extremely simple “Install WordPress” button.
Next you’re going to press “Install” on the next page.
Input the domain that you want to install, which should be the one you chose earlier.
Next, input your blog title, choose a name and password (write it down so you don’t forget!), and click install. You are now done!
To access your site, input your url along with /wp-admin at the end.
Ex: www.mytravelblog.com/wp-adminChoose A Theme
Without a theme, your website will appear extremely plain. WordPress has a few free themes in the “Appearance” section, but they are all very generic and not that aesthetically pleasing.
The most popular option by far is the Genesis Framework, in which you buy a software, and it gives you access to utilize thousands of themes. They have different pricing options that vary based on number of themes/the types you choose.
Once you install your theme, you’re done! You can now customize your website to your hearts desire and start creating awesome content.
