As an aspiring travel blogger, having an eye-catching yet functional website design is key to building your audience and community. However, learning how to code or hiring a web developer can be time-consuming and expensive. Fortunately, there are intuitive website builders that allow you to create a custom design without any technical experience. With the right tools, you can craft an amazing travel blog website in a matter of hours. If you're also looking to promote a hotel or resort on your blog, check out our article on how to create a stunning hotel landing page in minutes for more tips and inspiration on creating an engaging and effective landing page.
Why Choose Unicorn Platform for Your Travel Blog Website Design?
As a travel blogger, choosing the right website builder is crucial to your success. Unicorn Platform provides an easy-to-use solution for designing an amazing travel blog website without needing to code. Here are a few reasons Unicorn Platform should be your choice:
- Intuitive Drag and Drop Interface. Unicorn Platform features an intuitive drag and drop interface, allowing you to quickly and easily design and customize your travel blog website. You can choose from stylish templates, then add, rearrange and style elements however you like. No technical skills required.
- Integrated Booking. Unicorn Platform seamlessly integrates with major booking platforms like Booking.com and Expedia, allowing your readers to book hotels, flights and activities directly on your site. You'll earn a commission for every booking made through your site.
- Responsive Designs. All Unicorn Platform templates are fully responsive, meaning your travel blog website will look great on any device. Your site visitors will have an enjoyable experience whether they access your travel blog on mobile, tablet or desktop.
- Robust Blogging Features. Unicorn Platform was built with professional travel bloggers in mind. You'll have access to powerful blogging features like customizable blog layouts, SEO optimization tools, social media integration and more. Skyrocket your blog traffic and start making money from your content.
- Affordable Pricing. Unicorn Platform offers simple and affordable monthly payment plans for travel bloggers and small businesses. Plans start at just $8/month, providing great value without breaking the bank.
In summary, Unicorn Platform provides an all-in-one solution for designing an amazing travel blog website. The easy-to-use features, stylish templates, integrated booking, robust blogging tools and affordable pricing make it the perfect choice for travel bloggers looking to build a professional site without needing to code. Start your free 14-day trial today!
Select a Stunning Template to Match Your Brand
To build an eye-catching travel blog, selecting an elegant template that aligns with your brand is key. As a travel blogger, your website is a visual representation of your content and business. Choose from stylish templates with:
- Photographic header images to showcase your adventures. For a cohesive look, use the same header image across your site or update it with each new blog post.
- A clean, minimalistic design with plenty of white space. This helps your photos and content shine through. Too many distracting elements will overwhelm your readers.
- A responsive, mobile-friendly layout. With many readers accessing blogs on the go, your site must display properly across devices. Test how your selected template looks on mobile and tablet to ensure the best experience for all visitors.
- Customization options to match your brand. Look for a template with options to change fonts, colors, and add your own logo for a tailored look. Some providers offer templates with stylish pre-set color palettes to choose from.
- Intuitive navigation for easy browsing. A well-designed menu or sidebar makes it simple for readers to explore your latest posts, categories, and pages.
Selecting the right template is a balancing act. You want something professional yet still reflective of your creative travel blog brand. With a stunning, cohesive design in place, you can focus on what really matters - creating content to inspire your readers' next adventure. Your template choice ultimately comes down to your priorities and personal style as a blogger. Keep experimenting until you find one that feels like the perfect fit.
Add Engaging Hero Images and Sliders to Your Homepage
To make your travel blog website design visually compelling, incorporate engaging hero images and sliders on your homepage. Hero images are large banner photos at the top of a page that capture attention and set the tone for your site. Sliders are image carousels that automatically rotate through multiple photos.
Add an Eye-Catching Hero Image
Select a high-quality, high-resolution photo that represents your blog’s theme or focus to use as the hero image. For a travel blog, you might choose an inspiring landscape, cityscape or action shot of someone exploring. Be sure the image is large enough to span the full width of the page. You can add text over the image to welcome visitors, highlight your blog’s mission or showcase a special offer.
Include an Image Slider
An image slider allows you to showcase multiple photos in the space of the hero image. For a travel blog, you might include landscape shots from different destinations, photos of delicious local cuisines or pictures of exciting activities. Keep each slide simple, using a single, emotive photo with minimal text. Let the images speak for themselves.
Tips for Photos
- Choose photos with vivid colors and details that evoke a sense of adventure.
- Select images of popular or unique travel destinations and experiences.
- Include photos with people enjoying activities to make a human connection.
- Make sure all photos are high resolution (at least 1920 x 1080 pixels) for the best quality.
- Get permission to use photos that you do not own the rights to. Or stick to royalty-free stock photos.
- Keep text on the photos minimal, around 3 to 5 words. Let the images do the talking.
Using powerful images on your homepage, especially as hero images and sliders, helps to instantly capture interest and convey the essence of your travel blog. Curating a gallery of emotive photos from your adventures allows readers to visually experience the excitement of travel before even reading your posts. With compelling photos front and center, visitors will be eager to explore all your blog has to offer.
Create an About Page to Share Your Story
To connect with your readers and build trust, an engaging yet professional about page is essential for your travel blog website. Creating an about page allows you to share your story and passion for travel in your own words.
Share Your Travel Story
Discuss how you first got interested in travel and what motivates you to explore new destinations. Share some highlights from your favorite trips and what you enjoyed most at each location. Explain what inspired you to start your travel blog and how you hope to help readers. Keep this section authentic yet optimistic.
- Discuss life events or experiences that sparked your desire to travel
- Share details on 2-3 of your most memorable trips and what made them special
- Explain your motivation or goal in launching your travel blog
Establish Yourself as a Knowledgeable Resource
Build credibility by highlighting your expertise, experience and credentials in a straightforward, confident manner.
- List your educational degrees or certifications in a related field like journalism, marketing or business
- Discuss your background and years of experience traveling and writing about destinations
- Note any awards or recognition you have received as a travel writer or blogger
Share Your Mission and Values
Briefly explain your blog’s mission and the type of content readers can expect. For example, your goal may be to educate and inspire readers to travel more sustainably or experience authentic local culture. Discuss your commitment to accuracy, honesty and high ethical standards. Keep this mission statement concise yet compelling.
With an authentic and well-crafted about page, you can build trust and rapport with readers while positioning yourself as a knowledgeable resource. Be sure to also include professional yet friendly headshot of yourself to make a personal connection with your audience. An impactful about page is key to the success and credibility of your travel blog website.
Build an Inspiring Blog Section
To build an inspiring blog section on your travel website, focus on high-quality content and an intuitive user experience.
Create Engaging Blog Posts
Publish blog posts 2-3 times a week to keep readers coming back. Write about exciting destinations, share travel tips and stories, review products, or post interviews with travelers. Use images and short paragraphs to make posts scannable. Promote posts on social media to increase traffic.
Optimize for Search
Choose keywords related to your niche and include them in your posts, page titles, URLs, image alt text, and meta descriptions. This helps people find your content through search engines like Google. Update old posts to boost rankings.
Build an Email List
Add an email signup form to your blog so readers can subscribe to receive updates. Send a welcome email when someone signs up. Share blog posts, travel deals, and announcements in a weekly newsletter to stay in touch with your audience.
Make it Mobile-Friendly
With more people accessing the web on mobile devices, your blog must display well on smaller screens. Use a responsive theme and large text, buttons, and spacing. Keep pages minimal and load times fast. Test how your site looks on mobile to ensure an optimal experience for all visitors.
Include Social Sharing Buttons
Add social sharing buttons so readers can easily share your posts on networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. This expands your reach and brings more traffic to your site. See which networks drive the most referrals to determine where to focus your social efforts.
An inspiring blog is the heart of any travel website. By providing valuable information, optimizing for search, building your email list, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and enabling social sharing, you'll have readers coming back again and again to plan their next adventure. Crafting high quality content and focusing on the user experience will set you up for blogging success.
Include a Photo Gallery to Showcase Your Adventures
To showcase your travel adventures and give readers a visual glimpse into the experiences you’re sharing, include an eye-catching photo gallery on your blog’s landing page.
Choose High-Quality Photos
Select 10-15 of your very best travel photos that capture the essence of your adventures. Choose a mix of portrait, landscape, action, and detail shots. Images should be high resolution, vibrant, and evocative. For the best results, use a digital camera or DSLR and edit photos using photo editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop.
Arrange Photos Attractively
Display your photos in an attractive, cohesive gallery. You might arrange them in a grid, masonry layout or carousel. Use the same size and shape for all photos to create a clean, uniform look. Include captions describing when and where each photo was taken. Captions bring your gallery to life and help viewers gain context.
Optimize for Mobile
With many readers accessing your blog on mobile devices, ensure your photo gallery is optimized for smaller screens. Use a responsive gallery plugin that automatically reformats to suit mobile devices. Photos should still be high quality, but in a smaller file size for faster loading.
Encourage Social Sharing
Make it easy for readers to share your stunning photos on social media. Include social sharing buttons for major networks like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest below each photo in your gallery. When readers share your content, it increases traffic and engagement on your blog.
An eye-catching photo gallery is a must-have for any travel blog. Carefully curated, high-quality photos allow readers to experience your adventures visually and share in the wonder of your travels. Include a gallery on your landing page to capture readers' interest right from the start. With social sharing buttons, your stunning photos may even go viral and spread around the web!
Add a Contact Form So Readers Can Reach Out
To allow your readers to contact you directly, add a contact form to your travel blog website. A contact form creates an easy way for readers to send you a message without having to leave the site.
Choose a Contact Form Service
There are many free contact form services you can use, such as Wufoo, Formspree, or Google Forms. These services provide an HTML code to add to your site. They also handle spam filtering and emailing you the submitted messages. Select a service, create a new form, and customize the fields you want to include, such as name, email, subject, and message.
Add the Form to Your Page
Once you have the HTML code for your contact form, add it to the page where you want the form to appear, such as a “Contact” page. Place the code in the HTML section or use a page builder block for your chosen contact form service. Be sure to test the form to ensure it’s working properly before publishing your changes.
Set an Auto-Responder
It is a good idea to set up an automatic email response, called an auto-responder, for your contact form. The auto-responder will send an email confirming receipt of the reader’s message as soon as the form is submitted. This provides reassurance that their message was received and will be read. You can customize the auto-responder message to thank them for contacting you and let them know when they can expect a response.
Check for New Messages Regularly
Make a habit of checking your selected contact form service for new messages from readers frequently, at a minimum a few times per week. Read through the messages and respond based on the level of priority. A quick first response, even if just to acknowledge receipt and let the reader know when you will respond in full, leads to a good experience for readers who take the time to contact you.
Providing an easy way for readers to reach out to you helps build relationships and loyalty with your audience. A contact form is a simple solution to enable quality communication and connections between you and your readers.
Include Social Media Links to Build Your Audience
To build an audience for your travel blog website, be sure to include links to your social media profiles. Social media is crucial for driving traffic to your site and engaging with your readers.
Connect with Readers on Multiple Platforms
Having a presence on various social networks increases your visibility and gives readers more ways to connect with you and your content. At a minimum, create profiles for:
- Facebook: Useful for sharing blog posts, photos, and starting conversations. Engage by posting questions and responding to comments.
- Instagram: The perfect place to share stunning travel photos to capture interest and gain new followers. Post a mix of photos from your adventures as well as behind-the-scenes glimpses into your blogging life.
- Pinterest: Great for sharing location guides, packing lists, travel tips, and more. Your pins can drive referral traffic to your website. Create boards for different destinations or travel topics.
- Twitter: While tweets are short, Twitter is ideal for sharing links to your latest blog posts and connecting with like-minded travelers. Engage by following other travel bloggers and influencers in your niche. Retweet and comment on their posts as well.
Place Social Media Links Prominently
Include icons linking to your social profiles on your blog homepage, about page, and in your post sidebar or footer. This makes it easy for readers to follow you on their preferred networks. You might also include a call-to-action in your posts inviting readers to connect with you on social media for more content and updates.
Driving traffic through social media takes time and consistency. Post high-quality content on your channels several times per week, engage with your followers, and promote your newest blog posts to build your audience. While it requires an ongoing effort, growing your social following will positively impact your website traffic and subscriber numbers over the long run.
Travel Blog Website Design FAQs: Get Your Questions Answered
When designing a travel blog website, you likely have some questions about the best practices and approaches. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions to help guide you.
What page templates do I need?
For a travel blog, essential page templates include:
- Homepage: Feature your latest blog posts, popular posts, about page, and email signup.
- Blog: The hub for your posts. Include categories and tags to make it easy to navigate.
- About: Share your story and connect with readers. Include a photo and brief bio.
- Contact: Allow readers to get in touch. Provide an email, contact form, and social media links.
- Resources: Share helpful travel tools, gear, apps, books, etc. Link to affiliate products when possible.
How often should I post?
Aim for 2-3 posts per week to start. Focus on quality over quantity. Engage readers by posting on a consistent schedule, like Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. As your blog grows, you can increase to 3-4 posts per week. Stay active in the comments section and on social media in between posts.
What content should I create?
Share a mix of content like:
- Travel stories and experiences from your trips
- Practical travel tips and advice
- Travel photography and videos
- Destination guides and itineraries
- Reviews of travel gear, books, apps, etc.
- Interviews with other travel bloggers and influencers
A diversity of content will keep readers engaged and coming back. Focus on destinations and topics you know well to build authority.
Should I use ads or affiliate links?
Yes, monetizing your blog will allow you to earn an income from it. Use affiliate links to travel products and services you genuinely recommend. Place ads for travel brands, either through a network like Mediavine or by directly contacting companies. Be transparent about ads and affiliate links to build trust with readers.
How can I promote my blog?
Promote your blog on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Collaborate with other travel influencers. Submit your best posts to travel blog directories and search engines. Start an email list to regularly engage readers. Run contests and giveaways to increase shares and traffic. Pitch your blog to be featured on bigger travel sites and newsletters. Building an audience will take time, so stay patient and consistent.
With high-quality content, consistent posting, and effective promotion, you'll be well on your way to creating an amazing travel blog website design. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Conclusion
You have the freedom and flexibility to create any type of travel blog design you want with ease. Using a simple drag and drop website builder tool like Unicorn Platform, you can craft an eye-catching and engaging travel blog without needing to know how to code. Focus on what really matters to you - sharing your exciting travel stories, stunning photography, and helpful tips with readers around the world. With beautiful templates, fonts, and layouts at your fingertips, you'll be able to design a travel blog you love in no time. Your readers will appreciate your polished and professional site, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in your travel adventures and experiences. Creating an amazing DIY travel blog design has never been simpler. The possibilities are endless.
