Your friends keep asking you for your recipes, right? But you have no idea what you put in your recipe because you didn’t write it down or lost it? Or maybe people keep saying you should start a food blog and share your creations with the world? Or maybe you want to make money doing something creative that you enjoy? The best part about blogging is it can be about anything that interests you!
Whether you are just wanting to keep your recipes in one place or you want to stop having to write down your famous chocolate chip cookie recipe down for every co-worker that tries them (I want it too!), a food blog is a great way to share your passion with your friends, family and other food lovers around the world. It is also a really great way to earn some “dough” while doing what you love.
The most amazing part…
It’s so easy!
You will wonder why you didn’t do this years ago! Not only will you love this creative outlet but you can get started in 3 easy steps and less than 20 minutes. Just to show you how easy it is, my mom, who is 70!! taught me how to blog. She’s a writer, not a tech guru, so when I tell you it’s easy, believe it!
HOW TO START A FOOD BLOG IN 3 EASY STEPS:
1. Domain Name & Hosting
2. Installing WordPress
3. My Favorite Part: Picking a style that reflects YOU
1. Domain Name & Hosting
A Domain Name is your URL address. What name do you want to be known as? Will it stick in people’s heads? When people ask where to find your recipes, this is where you’ll be directing them. For me, I wanted a hub domain called “Vanilla Plum Media” and “Foodscape” as my subdomain because I want to be able to branch out and do other things at some point, but have my domain still be recognizable. Cuz, let’s face it, creative people rarely do one thing, right? If that isn’t you, make sure your domain name speaks food!
What worked for me: I made a list of possible names that reflected who I am.
Once you are ready, check your domain names in the box below and don’t forget to include .com or your preferred ending (like .net):
Found your perfect domain name? Click where is says “Click here to Register”
and it will direct you to your choice of hosting plans like the picture here below.
There are a lot of hosting plans out there. Hosting will give you your little corner of the internet with the ability to do anything you want with that space. They don’t control what you put on there, unlike sites that are free. This is especially important if you want to make money on your site. For me, I chose Bluehost for these reasons:
1. Free Domain Registration! Not all hosting companies do this for you.
2. You get the most for your money (subdomains, email addresses, storage, etc.)
3. Their customer service is unbelievable! One phone call will usually fix any website issues. They have even answered questions for me that are unrelated to hosting, such as WordPress questions.
4. They have an incredible affiliate program-the best I’ve seen. Many of the “big” name bloggers out there use Bluehost and make money by partnering with them.
Once you have picked a plan, fill in your info and scroll to this menu:
I recommend signing up for their Privacy protection because people can look up who owns the site and get the mailing address and personal info. Signing up for this protection will show Bluehost’s address instead of yours when people look you up. Complete the registration.
Step 1 Complete! Congratulations!
2. Installing WordPress
There are other platforms you can use, however, I recommend using WordPress since it is very user-friendly. Foodscape uses WordPress.
Log in to Bluehost,
then go to the CPanel and Install WordPress like the picture below.
Click “Install” on the next screen.
Click “Check Domain.” Everything should be filled in already, if not, enter your domain name and then check the domain.
Check the “terms and conditions” box and “install now.”
Next, make sure you “view credentials” in the next screen and write down your URL info. I decided to print the page out. This is your log in information for WordPress so don’t lose it!
Lastly, log in with your new information! Please keep in mind that WordPress has a .com and a .org. And the .com is the one you log in with.
Step 2 Complete! Woohoo!
3. Picking a style that reflects YOU
Once you log in to WordPress, you can start introducing yourself to the blogosphere with your very own posts, articles, and ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie recipes. I am so excited to share that recipe, so make sure you tell me it’s up, k?
But we can’t just have those chocolate chip cookies all by themselves…they need some decorations around them, right? This is where you get to establish what you want to make your blog look like. Do you like clean lines? Do you have a bohemian flair? Show us all your style with what theme you choose.
1. Foodscape runs on the Genesis Framework and uses the Foodie Pro Theme. I really love it and how customized you can make it.
2. Free WordPress themes are a great way to begin. Browse through lots of them here.
3. DIYThemes, or the Thesis Theme – I have seen a lot of big sites that started with this theme.
4. Elegant Themes – Also a very popular theme provider and worth checking out! Last I checked they offer a 30 day money back guarantee and are a little easier on the wallet than some other premium themes.
It’s official! Now that you have your blog setup, it’s time to get settled in! Start by making a post.
Step 3 Complete! Woohoo!
Now What!?
I’ve learned a lot along the way. One big thing I learned is what “plugins” to install to WordPress. In fact, to save you the trouble, I put together a page on The Best WordPress Plugins Every Blogger Should Have to get you started.
I also put together an article in my early days on who I was reading, where I was posting my recipes so you all could find me and how I was making money here.
