That’s the dream, isn’t it? To travel the world and get paid to do it. Well, this article will give you step-by-step instructions on how to start a travel blog and get paid doing it.
There are many other benefits of creating a travel blog aside from making money. You can use your blog to leverage cheap/free stays at hostels, car rentals, tours, flights and obviously using it as a place to document your travels. If you need help making a website you can also Hire WordPress Agency.
Total Cost of setting up your travel blog: $3.95/ month. That’s about the same price as a cup of coffee PER MONTH.
Bonus: If you sign up for hosting using our Bluehost Link, The Plaid Zebra will post one of your articles* to our 250,000+ followers. This will help you get traffic to your blog!
1. Register your domain name
Click here to purchase a domain name and create a travel blog, then follow the steps below to start making money from your travel blog.
The first thing you’re going to need to do is come up with a domain name. This can be tricky, so think of something original that showcases what your blog is about. Ex. TaylorOnATrip.com
Make sure your domain name is easy to spell and understand. This will help people remember your blog name and easily spread it by word of mouth.
The easiest way to get your domain name is to go directly through Bluehost. Bluehost offers you a FREE domain for the first year as long as you sign up for 12 months of web hosting. Normally you would be paying $15 for the year for your domain. You also get a cheaper monthly price if you purchase 12 months of hosting. Between the free domain and cheaper hosting, you’re spending about the same as a cup of coffee per month.
2. Purchase hosting for your blog
In case you’ve skipped right to this step, you’ll need to purchase hosting for your travel blog. You can do this through our special Bluehost link that gives you a discount on hosting your travel blog.
If you’re following the steps in order, you’ll have already purchased 12 months of hosting when you registered your domain name.
I highly suggest purchasing 12 months of hosting as you get a free domain name through Bluehost. The best part about Bluehost is that you’re not locked into a contract, and you can get a refund at any time.
Please refer to the screen shots above for the step-by-step on registering your domain and buying hosting through Bluehost.
If you already have a domain, please refer to this article that shows you how to connect your existing domain to hosting.
3. Install WordPress
This is definitely the easiest step of the entire process thanks to Bluehost. I use WordPress on every website that I create; it’s easy to post new articles, update, customize and it looks great right out of the box! Oh, did I mention that it’s free?
Here are the steps to install WordPress on your Travel Blog:
• Login to cPanel (You’ll get the link in your welcome email from Bluehost).
• Scroll down to the section labeled “Website Builders”
• Click on “Install WordPress”
• Click “Start” and it’ll begin the installation process.
• Choose the domain you’d like to install WordPress on. (There should only be one)
• Choose your username and password under “Advanced Options.” Do not use “Admin” as your username- this is the first thing hackers will try.
• Save your login information somewhere secure.
• Click “Automatically create a new database for this installation”
• Click “Install Now.”
Voila! Your travel blog is now ready to go. You can start writing, taking pictures and customizing your brand new blog.
Not sure what to include on your travel blog? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Check out this article: What to include on your travel blog.
Ready to monetize your travel blog? You can find out how here: How to monetize your travel blog
If you have any questions or need help with this process, please email me at [email protected].
* Articles submitted for posting will be subject to approval by the editorial staff at The Plaid Zebra and have to meet our editorial standards.
Related Articles:
11 Benefits to starting a travel blog and traveling the world
How to connect your domain to hosting for your travel blog
