Authorship

Before you follow a site, it is crucial to check out the owner of the blog or site that you are thinking of following. Is the site catering to solo travelers, adventurers or thrill seekers? Is the owner, a traveler as well or just someone who spends their time looking at various tour sites and then adding those information on their own blogs? Many websites hire ghost writers to populate their website especially if they don’t have time to work on the pieces and just want to make their site look updated on search engines. One advantage with having the site’s owner as the traveler is that one would know that the articles came from their experiences and would be helpful in guiding you along the way.

Relevancy and Timeliness

There are tons of travel sites in the internet and searching Google would probably yield you thousands and even millions of sites. But which one would provide help to you? Look for a site that has regular and updated content to it. If you happen to stumble upon an old article, some of the information might no longer be relevant. You can also contact the blog owner and inquire about the topic. Travel blog owners love to talk with their readers and some frequent the same place several times but would not mention it on their blog. They can be helpful in providing you with relevant information on the place(s) that you are interested in.

Sharing is Caring

Travel bloggers are passionate about their travelling and would willingly put in links to sites that aided them during their visits. Look for a blog that not only discusses the wonders of the locale but also the horrors and what to expect from the places. Some might do a sponsored travel in exchange for a review on the web owner’s blog. If all the articles contain praises for the site, then it should raise red flags especially if you find some bad reviews of the same place on the internet.

There are certain characteristics that make the best travel blog. We’ve listed the features of the top-rated ones so that you can use them to make your pick.

1. Engaging Content -
It appears to be the obvious; however, it is a tough criterion to fulfill. The content should be creative, informative and original. It should also be different. If your blog offers the same content that other blogs and travel websites have to offer, they will move on. Content should be on various topics namely travel tips, travel experiences, news and travel technology.

2. Up-To-Date -
The tourism industry is time-sensitive and as such the information tends to change periodically. Hence, it is important that review the information listed on your website from time to time and update it to match the latest changes. It includes information on pricing, visiting hours, programs offered at tourist sites and the likes. Make sure you verify the information that you post on your blog. Not only this, great blogs are those that add fresh content regularly.

3. A Bunch of Links -
Whether they are links to airline booking sites, hotel websites or comparison sites, it is very convenient to have them embedded in the text. Readers can get more travel related information by simply clicking on a link.

4. Photos and Videos -
Media files like photos and videos support your content; they are what complete your blog. Photographs of travel destinations, culinary delights and personal sneak-peeks give readers an opportunity to plan their vacation based on your experiences. It also attracts them to read to the end of your blog.

5. Reader Generated Content -
Including a section wherein readers can contribute their two pence on travel tips and insider insights will also earn your blog more readers. This is because the real shared experiences of other fellow travelers add a touch of originality to your blog.

6. Maps -
In addition to the discussion forums and photo albums, a few destination maps are always a welcome addition. Maps are a must when one goes travelling and it is a better if they can print and use them offline. You can also integrate it will Google Maps so that travelers can plot their trip on the map.

7. A Good Blog Design -
In the bid to create an attractive and engaging design, we often end up with extremely gaudy and complicated blog templates and designs. Choose an eye-catching, simple design, but don’t make it too complex.

8. Easy-to-Use Interface -
It should feature an intuitive interface. There should be too many instructions to follow and pop ups to get through before they get to read what they want.

9. Mobile Compatibility -
We live in an age of smartphones and hence it is important that most travel blogs and websites be optimized for mobile platforms. If your blog does not load on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets there is a likelihood readers won’t revisit.

If you are someone who loves to travel, sharing details about your trips to your friends or others who have the same interest can be an exciting thing. Also, this is a good place to put all your best videos and photos as opposed to posting every single image like most people do in their respective social networking accounts.

Here’s how you can make your travel blog fun and engaging:

1. Get ideas from your favorite travel blogs.

It’s a sure bet that you already have several favorite travel sites. Pay attention to what makes you keep coming back to these blogs in the first place. Is it the writing style? The user-friendly interface, perhaps? Or is it the attractive site design?

You can learn a lot by browsing such sites and considering what makes them stand out among the rest.

2. Pick an appropriate platform.

We all have our comfort zones and it is extremely important that you select a blogging platform that suits your convenience.

Some of the blogging platforms you can choose from include Blogger, WordPress, Typepad, and Joomla, among others. These sites offer free usage and they can be customized in many ways. You can tweak the theme, font, format and almost everything else to make the blog uniquely yours.

3. Update your site often.

As you begin blogging, you will eventually discover that consistency can be hard to master. Things can get in the way and you, as a blogger, need to balance your priorities so you can still keep your blog alive.

Do your best to write at least one blog entry per week. This will keep your audience interested in your site. Otherwise, people will likely forget about you if you are only updating once a month or less.

Decide a specific time for the week when you will do your writing. If you are out on a travel, make it a point to allocate a few hours for blogging as well.

4. Keep a travel journal.

To make your life significantly easier, bring a small notebook wherever you go. This may seem like an old idea but it is still so much better than relying on your gadgets. Besides, you won’t need any batteries for this!

Write down any interesting ideas or feelings you have as you discover a new place, try new food, or encounter unique experiences.

5. Pictures and videos.

Your travel blog will be boring without them!

Your readers need to feel as if they were with you during your travels so make sure to post your best shots and footages. This is crucial towards making your blog appealing to your target audience.