Do you want to start a food blog? I’ve been in your shoes, trust me, and I only wish that back then I knew how simple it was! Let me help you build an efficient, well-designed, successful food blog.
Stick with me for the next 20 minutes, and then start sharing your recipes to the world!This quick guide will show you step by step the simple way of starting your blog. how you would build a blog from start to finish, starting with website hosts, and onto themes.
Work your way through this list of 4 simple steps to start your blog:
- Choose a name and make sure it’s domain is available (i.e myfoodblog.com)
- Register your domain for it to “live” on the internet, and sign up for a hosting service
- Install WordPress your content management system
- Install a theme so you can design your blog easily
Disclaimer: Some of the links used in this page are affiliate links and I will earn commission if you purchase through them. Rest assured that all recommendations and advice is based on my own positive experience with the services that I use and trust.
Let’s start:
- Choose a name and make sure the domain name is available
That’s the exciting part! You are about to choose a name that will be your blog trademark from now on. My domain is netacooks.com. When I got started, I took some time to brainstorm and picked names that I liked and thought people could easily connect to. After you come up with a list of your favorite names, you need to make sure the domain name is available. You can
use namecheap to check domain availability and purchase it.
As you choose your domain name, keep these tips in mind:
- try to use ‘.com’ at the end, if possible
- make it easy to say and spell
- keep it short
- make it memorable
- avoid numbers and hyphens, if possible
- Register your domain and sign up with a hosting service
So, you’ve found the perfect name – that’s awesome! Now all you need to do is to register it and sign up with a hosting service. Now you need a place for your site to “live” on the internet. While there are many options, a self-hosted WordPress site is simply my top recommendation. It is a blogging standard, hosting allows you access to an amazing amount of free plugins (add-ons), and will be able to grow with you as your blog grows. The following are the hosts I recommend for a self-hosted WordPress site.
I recommend signing up with a hosting service that specializes in managing WordPress installations. The leader in WordPress hosting, and also recommended by wordpress.com is Bluehost (the guys who develop and maintain WordPress) . Bluehost is a good and safe bet for a hosting service to get you started quickly and safely.
First, go to the Bluehost signup page here, you’ll see the different plans. I suggest that you start with the cheaper starter plan. Note that Bluehost charges for a discounted yearly fee rather than a costly monthly plan – you can always upgrade at a later stage.
Just enter your domain name in the following page, and they’ll register it for you:
Next, choose your account plan. There are also a few add-ons available for purchase. Note, that you’ll be able to add those later so no need to commit at this stage.
The Domain Whois Privacy shields your personal address and phone number from being displayed to the public.
ENTER BILLING INFORMATION
Put in your billing info, check the confirm box, and click on the blue NEXT button.
SKIP THE UPGRADES AND CHECK YOUR EMAIL
You will get asked if you are interested in any upgrades, just skip them for now. Check your email and you should find a welcome email from Bluehost. In that email will be your Control Panel (CPanel) Login info. Keep this info in a safe place!
That’s it! You have completed setting up hosting!
Now it’s time to install WordPress.
3. Install WordPress
So, you registered your domain and signed up with a hosting service – you’re almost done! WordPress in the leading content management software trusted and used by hundred of thousands bloggers around the world. It’s really easy to setup WordPress on Bluehost:
After you login to Bluehost, just click on WordPress on the Website Builders section:
Next, click the install button:
Then, click “Check Domain”:
CHOOSE YOUR USER INFO
Check the little box next to Show Advanced Options.
Enter your site name or title – ours is Six Sisters’ Stuff.
Choose an admin username, then choose an admin password – this will become the login info you use to sign into WordPress once it’s installed.
Enter your email address, click the box for terms and conditions, then click the green INSTALL NOW button.
Once you get the message that says “Your install is complete!” you’ll want to click on the “View Credentials” button and write down your Admin URL, Username, and Password. You can change these to something more memorable later, but you’ll need them for your first time logging in.
Then, you’ll see the temporary Username and Password for your blog. Note that you can easily change this later, but for now go and manage your blog by clicking the view button. You’ll see the temporary Username and Password for your blog. Note that you can easily change this later, but for now manage your blog by clicking the Admin URL link.
You will see the WordPress login screen. Enter the username and password that were displayed in the previous page.
Type your Admin URL into your web browser. You’ll see a login screen like the one below. Enter your Username and Password you copied down from the previous step.
You’ve officially logged into your blog. Congrats
4. Make your blog pretty
At this point, you officially have your own food blog! Wahooooo! How does it feel? Welcome to the blogosphere, my friend!
You’re minutes away from sharing your famous double-chocolate-chip cookie recipe with the world (SEND ME ALL OF THEM).
Before you jump into the kitchen there are a few things you can do to beautify your blog. It’s time to pick your theme! WordPress has tons of free WordPress themes to pick from. You can scan through the options here. If you’re looking for a premium theme, check out these options:
Genesis: In my opinion, this is the standard for a WordPress framework. It’s solid, runs efficiently, and always keep security as a top priority. We run Genesis on this site with a custom child theme
Foodie Pro: This is an amazing food blog theme that sits on top of Genesis with its uniquely powerful recipe grid index. And here you can find 17 video tutorials on setting it up and customizing it.
Daily Dish: I think this is another very solid child theme for Genesis. The sidebar width and large content space make it a very good option.
And voila, you’re done!
If you have any questions, comments or words of wisdom, please comment on this page and I’ll get back to you 🙂 Enjoy your new blog!