I was recently asked if I would like to provide a spot for a guest post on my website. I agreed and the following article was written focusing on how to select a theme for a travel website. Please enjoy.

Modernization has helped a lot of sectors to experience a rapid growth of development. It has done so by bringing things to the light and laying them bare. This has made a lot of things look easier than what they were initially perceived as. The internet is also a great factor that influenced modernization as virtually everything is on the internet. Philosophers will say that philosophy is the only course that is interested in the meaning of philosophy itself. I say the internet is also one of the few things that will give you ideas on how to successfully make use of it. You only need to understand how things affecting the internet work such as SEO, Magento Development, etc. to make optimal use of the internet. You may not necessarily employ the service of an SEO agency.

With knowledge of how the internet works, you are halfway through making optimal use of the internet. The next step is to actually put that knowledge to work. This is done by actually designing a website or in this case a blog. To do this, you need a theme. A website theme is a set of visual styles and page layouts that users can upload/install to their websites and customize to their needs. A stand-alone theme includes HTML and CSS3 files and often some JavaScript. Even though adding content is up to the theme user, some bundles also include pre-made images, audio and video. Website themes are usually created for a specific website engine, or CMS (content management system). A Joomla theme will not work for WordPress, and a theme that is meant for Wix is usually not portable to Drupal or Ghost. If you want to start a blog (a travel blog in this case), below are some savvy tips to consider when choosing an attractive theme for your blog.

Support and Security

The edge premium themes have over free themes should be the availability of support that comes with it. It could be in the form of email, phonecall, forum or tutorial. This is not to downplay free themes but to make you know what you are getting into. Developers of free themes usually see them as a side project, may not respond to you, and may take too long to respond when they actually do. Some themes, especially those that are free, are not launching updates right after a new WordPress update is available. The reason is as mentioned above – usually it is a side project of developers. Make sure your theme comes with regular updates, otherwise you put your website under risk of threats and security vulnerability.

Compatibility

It is also worth checking whether a theme is compatible with popular plugins. Most good themes will offer pre-built features and styling for the most widely used plugins, while the best theme authors will also offer their help in ensuring that a less popular plugin also plays nicely with the theme. Make sure the theme you are thinking about appears well across different browsers. As your users use various devices, they also have different browser preferences. The theme may look awesome on your current browser, but it may not perform well on others. Theme developers usually test their themes, but if they do not mention it in the theme description, you may try a simple test by trying it on different browsers such as the popular Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer or Firefox. Use browser compatibility tools to save time.

Fast and user friendly

Website speed today is one of the most significant factors affecting conversion rate. Most people will not waste their time on a website that takes ages to load. Average users expect loading time up to only 3 seconds. That is why you should be thorough when choosing a theme because the problems with load performance may destroy the beauty of a well-coded and good-looking site. A user-friendly design means people will enjoy their visits to your website. Many themes come with plenty of colours, layouts and features that may be useful, but in the end, you want to focus on simple design.

Watch the design

It is very true that individuals who love to travel are adventurous in natures. Does it mean you should design your blog in an adventurous manner? Not necessarily. A user-friendly design means people will enjoy their visits to your website. Many themes come with plenty of colours, layouts and features that may be useful, but in the end, you want to focus on simple design. The best of things are usually simple in nature and that includes attractive things. Some templates might be beautiful, but that does not mean they will help to grow your business or improve sales. Remember that you are creating a website for travellers or potential travellers and you want them to find what they need quickly. Make sure your navigation panel and search icons are easy to find. In addition, ensure that people get what they are looking for in three clicks.

Always check reviews

The best and most assured way to know what is in front of you is by asking people that have been there. It is necessary to check what developers who used that theme have to say concerning all that has been mentioned so far. Whether premium or paid, the only person that will tell you the truth about a theme is a designer that has used it. A developer will only tell you the pros and forget to mention the cons.

Therefore, if you have a hobby that you will like to promote without much hassle then you can get the adequate knowledge of how the internet works and make optimal use of it to promote your hobby. With these savvy tips, you can choose an attractive theme for your travel blog that will make it more of a travel guide for travellers.

Junaid Ali Qureshi

is a digital marketing specialist who has helped several businesses gain traffic, outperform competition and generate profitable leads. His current ventures include Progostech, MagentoDevelopers.online, eLabelz, SmartLeads.ae and eCig.