Becoming a Travel Blogger: How To Design A Website

Becoming a Travel Blogger: How To Design A Website

I’m a writing veteran (of over 30 years experience), a blogging expert (since 2007) and a social media geek (ongoing), but am I an expert at creating wonderful websites?? Not a chance. I’m really a novice. I remember back to late 2012 when I made the transition from hobby blogger to professional travel blogger and the amount of hours I sat in front of my laptop, tearing my hair out, cursing and making mistakes. I didn’t know where to start with WordPress, bvack end systems, themes – it was so hard to understand for me. So I needed to hire experts in certain fields to help with my technical and digital problems. You see, the blogging comes easy for me – I can write until the sun goes down, comes up again, I will always be able to write. But I needed a technical expert and a digital agency to help with my back end jobs such as design, computer jargon (which I was useless at) and troubleshooting. Here are some tips that I suggest when becoming a blogger for the first time.

Don’t Stop Living 2014

1.Blog for passion, NOT for money
To be honest, anyone who blogs for money isn’t really a blogger, they’re fakes, thieves and small-time petty thieves. Blogging is only about blogging and writing is only about writing. My first published project was a football fanzine in 1990 for Glentoran FC (called “One Saturday Afternoon at the Oval”). Myself and two friends (Michael and Gavin) did it for fun. But we also sold it for 50 pence a copy. But it was just for fun and passion. So start your blog because you want to blog, not because you want the money. I despise such bloggers and gladly alienate myself from such people.

“Can’t make head nor tail of passion, oh my love” – Right Said Fred.

Coffee and blogging in Moscow, Russian Federation

2.Invest in a Design Agency
Good design doesn’t fall from an empty sky. So if you are passionate and serious about making your blog look better and feel better, then don’t do it yourself unless you are an expert. Use a design agency such as Silky Ocean Studios to help design your website. They will do it professionally and will save you the time and hassle. Such companies can vastly improve your brand. My blog logos and sites were not my own designs – I paid for them all except for the logo on Northern Irishman in Poland (which was simple, in fairness). This company has been responsible for designing the online websites for many companies and businesses, whether a travel site, a hair salon, a beauty blog or a PR website. Sites such as the expert glazing company https://www.threecountiesltd.co.uk and top airlines like Flybe were all designed by Silky Ocean Studios.

Silky Ocean Studios

They are an agency that take away the hassle and cost when it comes to creating your brand’s website. They do the design and manage it and you can even get your own web design team from only £39.99 a month.

Flybe Website

3.Hire an Ongoing Technical Person
Through my friend Allan Wilson (based in Thailand), I was given the contact details of a technical expert based in India. I emailed him and suddenly, he was to be my main man for all the tech stuff. He helped out with so many back end jobs over my plethora of websites. He did things that I could never do and he also didn’t charge over the odds.

As well as these three things, I have also shared my blogging tips before including making sure to try and blog everyday, even if just in draft form. Good luck with your website design and don’t stop blogging!