There are over 50 000 WordPress plugins out there that can help you elevate your website in no time. But, not all tools are for every business. Travel blogs deserve some special ones, am I right?
Since most people nowadays use blogs to share their travel experiences, visitors are expecting a sleek-looking website.
Yes, the pieces of information and pictures are important, but not much can be accomplished without a great website. That’s why we have put together a list of the top 12 WordPress plugins that every travel blog should have. Let’s dive in.
1. Coming Soon & Maintenace Mode
The first spot goes to the one and only Coming Soon & Maintenace Mode plugin. This is a great plugin for creating, yup, you guessed it, a coming soon page. If you are an already established travel blogger on Instagram or any other platform – this one is for you.
It’s important to let your audience know when you have something new lined up. That’s why this plugin is perfect for a travel blog, let the people have all the information while generating hype about what’s soon to come. You can create an amazing-looking coming soon page with all of the information that your visitors may want to see. It is great for SEO, fully customizable, and even comes with pre-built themes.
The best part of this tool is that you can also use it as a landing page. If you want to convert casual visitors into regulars, then this type of page is your best chance. Every page owner should want their visitors to become part of their family. That’s why creating a landing page is so important, especially for new sites.
2. Google Maps Widget
The second plugin on our list is Google Maps Widget. If you think about it, this tool is practically mandatory for any travel blog. Since travelers visit a lot of places, it is important to show their visitors the exact locations. The easiest way to do so is with a plugin like this.
The plugin itself is easy to install and use. You can create and have as many maps as you want (no limit whatsoever). And you can create as many pins on a map as you want. Pin every bar or coffee shop you have been to, let your visitors know they love transparency.
The maps are also fully customizable, so you don’t have to worry about aesthetics. There is no room for generic-looking maps on a wonderful site. And no worries, the plugin is mobile responsive, so your mobile visitors will have no trouble navigating them.
3. WP Reset
WP Reset is on our 3rd spot. It is a must-have plugin on every site. If you are starting your site and have a bunch of plugins to install – this one will be your life-saver. Let’s say you want all of the plugins from this list, but it takes over an hour to install them one by one. What do you do?
You install this plugin first, and then with just one click, you can install the rest of them. A life-saver, right? Besides, if you ever install another plugin or update one, and the site crashes, this hero will be by your side. It is your own time machine. With one click, you can go back to the moment before everything went pitch black.
There is so much to this tool that we can’t cover everything, but be sure to check it out. You won’t regret it.
4. WP Sticky
The next destination on our travel list is the island of WP Sticky. Ever wondered how a particular part of a website keeps following you while you are reading an article? That’s because they have either a sticky menu or a sticky navigation bar. Having this probably doesn’t seem like a big deal. Because you are used to it, you don’t even recognize it. But almost every site has it.
With this handy tool, you can make any element on your site sticky. From a sticky menu to a widget, and you can create as many as you want, there is no limit. Plus, it’s so easy to use. You can pick the object visually – without any coding. You can even choose which devices it’s displayed on, and transitions and animations are available as well.
5. BackupGuard
The fifth spot on our list goes to the top security plugin for your site – BackupGuard. We included this one because it is better to be safe than sorry! With this little helper, you can back up and restore your site for your own safety. You can choose what kind of backup you want, from partial to full, or maybe even a custom backup? It is your choice.
What is also in your hands is the location of your backup. You can store it on your site or maybe offsite, just in case. Besides, there is no reason to do it manually. You can simply automate the process and schedule backups. Let the little helpers do the job for you while you travel around some beautiful destinations.
6. If-So Dynamic Content
The next spot on our list goes to the If-So Dynamic Content plugin. It is a simple plugin for WordPress that helps you replace or add any content to your website based on visitors’ interactions with your page or their profile. Every visitor is different, and this tool recognizes that for you. It does its own magic based on some conditions or parameters such as location, search terms, pages that they have visited, or the number of visits.
Depending on these parameters, the tool will change up something on your website. That way, you can convert them from a visitor to a regular. They will have an amazing relevant, and personalized experience on your website. You will achieve that because of dynamic content, which means that the content changes based on the user.
7. WP Travel Engine
WP Travel Engine is our 7th tool on the list. It is a free travel booking plugin that can help you create tour and travel packages. Travel agencies and tour operators will have an easier time with this one in their back pocket.
You can add trip galleries, descriptions, sales prices, regular fees, FAQs, and a bunch more. Using WP Travel Engine, you could create a travel booking website in under 5 minutes, and it has a lot of useful features.
8. WP Airbnb Review Slider
Now, on the 8th spot, we have WP Airbnb Review Slider. With this little helper, you can display your AirBnB reviews like a pro. You can put them in a cool grid or a slider, your choice. Sometimes customers trust the previous customer more than they trust the owner. That’s why it is a smart move to include this on your website. Having verification from your old customers is like a sack full of gold.
You can choose how many reviews you want per row and the number of rows. All the reviews that you put in will have the Airbnb logo, which will be linked to the original source. You can display them on a post or a page, with a shortcode, or with a widget – whatever you like. And on top of everything, it is mobile-friendly.
9. The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar is the 9th tool on this travel list. With this plugin, you can create and manage events on your website with the use of a calendar. No matter what type of events they are, virtual or in-person, this tool will help you with that. It is easy to use, customizable and extendable as well. The only thing that’s between you and this tool is the installation process – which is simple. After that, you only need to configure the settings, and you are good to go.
10. AddToAny Share Buttons
The 10th spot on our list goes to the AddToAny plugin. This one will help you increase your traffic and engagement in no time. This plugin allows people to share your post, pages, and articles on any social media. We all know the power of social media, especially Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Tumblr. However, there are hundreds of them out there. The more, the better. That’s why AddToAny comes with 100+ social media apps where users can share your content.
11. Yoast SEO
The next spot on our list is reserved for Yoast SEO. This plugin was made for every business, traveling included. SEO is a big part of blogging, and this tool makes sure that your site is SEO-friendly. It’s been one of the top competitors in the game for a long time, and it sports more than a handful of useful features like helping with your articles, making sure they’re readable, and that grammar checks out.
12. GTranslate
For the last plugin on the list, we have GTranslate. It is always important to think about international visitors when running a website. This plugin will help you with that. It has 103 available languages, which will make your site accessible to almost everyone. And the paid version is also SEO compatible – that way, you will boost organic traffic to your site passively.
Conclusion
Having plugins on a website nowadays is practically mandatory. The ones that we listed are some of the best in the region they specialize in. They will help you with elevating your site to a completely new level, and your business will blossom with them.