Want to start a food blog but don’t know where to start? I know how frustrating it can be to deal with technical stuff when you really just want to share that killer recipe. Whether you want to start a cooking blog, or you want to become a more successful food blogger, I hope these tips will ease your technical troubles.
Ready to start a beautiful food blog? You have two options:
- Hire a web designer to do it for you. Custom designs usually cost thousands of dollars, but they are certainly an option if you have the money to spend. Be sure to ask for references and wait times before you write a check.
- Do it yourself. I’ll explain how to build your own self-hosted WordPress website below. It will cost you as little as $2.95 per month in hosting, plus the cost of a theme (free to $130). I built this site myself using the tools provided below, so I know you can do it!
Start your own food blog: the basic steps
Here are the basic steps to set up a self-hosted WordPress food blog that is both beautiful and functional. Your blog will have your own domain name and your own distinct look, and it will be able to scale with you as your blog grows. When you’re starting a food blog, I recommend following these steps for a greater shot at success.
1) Name your blog and buy a matching domain name.
Domain names are short, memorable and typically end in .com (yourblogname.com).
Cost: free with Bluehost or around $15 per year elsewhere.
2) Find a reliable web host.
A web host stores your website and makes it accessible to the world wide web. In other words, your website “lives” on your web host’s servers.
Cost: $2.95 per month and up.
3) Install WordPress.
WordPress is top-of-the-line, industry standard blogging software.
Cost: free!
4) Install a WordPress theme.
Your WordPress theme will determine the look, feel and functionality of your website.
Cost: free to $130.
5) Set up Google tools.
Google offers invaluable tools and services like Google Analytics and Search Console.
Cost: free!
6) Install WordPress plugins.
WordPress plugins extend the functionality of WordPress in certain areas. For example, one of my recommended free WordPress plugins helps prevent spam comments.
Cost: free, mostly!
7) Start blogging!
Publish those recipes, stories and photos.
Cost: hard work!
Step 1: Name your blog and buy a matching domain name.
Coming up with a name for your new blog might be the hardest step. You can start brainstorming by coming up with a short mission statement or by listing words that describe your cooking style, your lifestyle, your background, etc. Throw in your name and/or your dog’s name. ;) Talk it out with friends. There are tons of great names out there that aren’t yet taken, I promise!
Characteristics of an ideal blog name
- Descriptive
- Memorable
- Short
- Easy to spell
Once you have some potential names in mind for your blog, you’ll need to check their availability. Since .com is the standard domain suffix, keep trying potential names until you find one that is available in .com. Don’t resort to hyphens or other punctuation marks to make it work (they’re too hard to remember).
You can buy your domain name from a number of providers, but it’s easiest to buy it through your web host. Hop over to Bluehost to enter your desired domain name. Hit “search” and it’ll tell you if your domain name is available. If so, snatch it up quick!
Once you have picked your perfect domain name, you can get it for free with your BlueHost hosting plan. You can also just buy the domain name and figure out the rest later (you can always transfer your domain name to another host if desired). Buy your domain name now, before someone else does!
Step 2: Find a reliable web host.
You’ll want to start with an affordable shared hosting plan that offers automatic WordPress installation. I know this hosting stuff sounds complicated, but pick one and power through! Your food blog awaits.
The best web host for new food blogs:
BlueHost: I recommend Bluehost for beginners and growing blogs because it’s affordable, reliable, easy to set up, fast, and offers 24/7 customer support. Bluehost’s “starter” plan is about as cheap as hosting gets. Click here to get started with BlueHost for as low as $2.95 per month and get a free domain name.
With Bluehost, like all the other inexpensive hosts, you’ll pay for your plan upfront. Don’t worry, though—if for some reason you aren’t happy with Bluehost, you can cancel within 30 days for a full refund. (Domain fee excluded, which you’d pay for elsewhere anyway.)
Good to know: Bluehost loves Cookie and Kate readers. Purchase your hosting through any of my links to Bluehost and you’ll get the best deal available. No promo code required.
Here’s how to get the most from your Bluehost plan:
First, choose your plan. I recommend the basic plan, which is the least expensive and offers everything you need to get started.
Then, choose your term. In order to get your free domain name for a year (a $15 savings) and a significant discount on your monthly rate, you’ll need to pay for at least one year of hosting upfront. Feel free to choose a longer term if you’re serious about blogging and want to save more money, but one year is a great start.
Lastly, choose your add-ons. The only add-on I would choose is “Domain Privacy Protection,” which will make sure your personal address and phone number are kept private. Otherwise, your personal information will be available to marketers and the general public. Please be safe!
Step 3: Install WordPress.
This part is so easy. If you purchased a Bluehost shared hosting plan as suggested, WordPress will be installed on your site automatically!
Once you’re logged into your WordPress site, go to Settings > Permalink Settings page and change your permalink structure to “Post name.” Hit save. Now it’s time to make your blog look pretty.
Step 4: Install a WordPress theme.
Now we’re getting to the fun part! Your WordPress theme will determine the look and feel of your site, so pick a good one.
What to look for in a WordPress theme
- Well designed: Your theme should suit your aesthetic and offer the features you want. The theme should also be coded by someone who knows what they’re doing.
- Responsive. Responsive designs are built to provide an optimal viewing experience for your visitors, whether they’re visiting from their computer, phone or tablet. That means your visitors won’t have to pinch and zoom to read your posts—your text will already be a legible size.
- Optimized for search results: This goes along with the last couple of points, because a well-designed site will naturally rank higher in search results than a site built on a theme that is full of errors. (Want to know if you potential theme has coding errors? Run its URL through the W3C’s markup validation service. You don’t have to understand what all the errors mean, but know that fewer errors are better than more errors.)
- User friendly: Find a theme that offers built-in design options so you don’t have to edit code to change basic stuff. These features will save you a ton of time. Your theme should make it easy for you to change your logo, color scheme, etc.
- Backed by great support: When you experience technical issues, a responsive support team and/or community forums are invaluable resources.
My bottom line: You can start with a free theme, but I recommend that you pony up some cash for a premium WordPress theme from a reputable provider. The time and headaches that you save down the road will make it money well spent.
Recommended premium WordPress themes
I originally built this blog on a basic, free WordPress theme and customized it myself. In February 2014, I launched a redesigned website that is responsive and my site has grown significantly since then.
My blog runs on the Genesis framework via Studiopress. I believe that Studiopress offers the most gorgeous, functional themes available. All of their themes are responsive, which is a necessity these days! Their community forums are helpful, too. Get Studiopress themes through Genesis Pro for a yearly fee, or get them for free with a WP Engine or Flywheel hosting plan (this website is hosted by Flywheel).
Foodie Pro Theme is a fantastic Studiopress theme designed specifically for food blogs. After seeing how nice my friend’s new blog looks right out of the box, I wish I’d gone with the Foodie theme. The built-in recipe page template is a huge plus. Check out Foodie Pro Theme.
How to install a WordPress theme
Another easy step! Look in the sidebar and hover over “appearance.” Click on the “themes” option. From here, you can either upload a theme or browse available free themes. Hover over any theme to find links to preview or install it. Click here for more in-depth instructions with visuals.
Tips for designing a user-friendly food blog
When you’re tweaking the settings on your WordPress theme, keep the following in mind.
- Clear navigation: Keep your blog design clean and uncluttered, so visitors can find what they’re looking for.
- Encourage following: Place prominent links to your RSS feed, email subscription option and social media on every page.
- Commenting: Don’t require CAPTCHAs or ask visitors to login first.
- Suggest sharing: Provide social media sharing buttons at the end of each post.
Step 5: Set up Google tools.
First, set up a new Google account and email (Gmail) address for your blog. It’s nice to keep your blog-related emails and accounts separate, and you will need a Google account to use the following tools. Create a new Gmail account here.
Once you have a Google account, log in and set up the following:
- Google Analytics: Helps you track blog traffic. (Note: install the tracking code in your Yoast SEO plugin settings.)
- Google Search Console: Makes sure your website is up and running. (Note: install the tracking code in your Yoast SEO plugin settings.)
Step 6: Install WordPress plugins.
Each of these plugins provide valuable features that might not automatically come with your theme.
Recommended WordPress plugins for food blogs:
- Akismet: Filters out spam comments without requiring CAPTCHA. Nobody likes CAPTCHAs.
- Tasty Recipes: Formats your recipes for search engine optimization (SEO), adds star ratings, creates print-friendly recipes, and more. This plugin will help your recipe’s photo show up in the search results, and we’re all more likely to click on those links, right? This is a paid plugin but I believe the functionality is absolutely worth the cost.
- Share Buttons of some sort: There are many social bookmarking plugins that will add a Facebook like button, Pin-It button, etc. to each post. Pick your favorite!
- Subscribe To Comments Reloaded: With this plugin, your commenters will receive your replies to their comments by email. This is a helpful feature for readers and improves engagement.
- Yoast SEO: SEO is a complicated beast and this plug-in will help you make sure you have covered your bases. You will need to take the time to go through all the steps and set it up properly, though. Be sure to use it to set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console. It will be worth the effort!
How to install a WordPress plugin
Easy! Go to your WordPress dashboard and look in the sidebar for “Plugins.” Hover over “Plugins” and click on the “Add New” option.
Then look for the “Search Plugins” field and search for one of the plugins by name. When you find it, click “Install Now.” Then, configure the plugin settings as directed.
Step 7: Start blogging.
Congratulations!!! Now you’re ready to start publishing posts on your new food blog.
I have a food blog! Now what?
Here are my Top 20 Tips for Food Blogging, and you’ll find more helpful links below.
How do I write great content?
- Ira Glass on Storytelling
- Blog Q&A: Should I launch with content?
- What Should Food Bloggers Write About?
- How to Write a Recipe
- The Kitchn’s Recipe Writing Tips
How do I take appetizing food photos and make videos?
Practice, practice and more practice!
How do I get traffic to my blog?
Search engine optimization (SEO): Following SEO best practices will help your posts rank well in search results.
- Google’s SEO Starter Guide
- WPBeginners’ Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners
- Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines PDF (160 pages, yikes!)
More traffic-building resources:
- 10 Ways to Market Your New Blog by The Everygirl
- 33 Ways to Market Your Blog by Amy Andrews
- 21 Quick Actions You Can Do Today to Set Your Blog Up for Massive Success by Fizzle
- How to Develop a Social Media Strategy for Your Business
How do food bloggers make money?
Options include ad networks, affiliate links, sponsored posts, ebooks, etc.
- How to Make Money Blogging by Amy Andrews
- How to Monetize Your Food Blog (free ebook)
- How to Build a Blog Business Plan by Melyssa Griffin
- The Comparison Trap: How to Enjoy the Success of Others
- Disclosure Guidelines for Bloggers from the FTC
Questions? Please leave them in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Jessica
Wow thanks so much for putting this list together Kate. I’ve been thinking about moving over to a self-hosted wordpress blog for awhile but it’s definitely overwhelming, so I appreciate all the tips you’ve added. Thanks :)
Christina
I’m in the process of starting up my own food blog and this helps SO much – thank you!!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Christina. I’m glad you found it helpful!
Holly
What a helpful post, thanks! I have learned a lot and know it will help as I make the switch from Blogger to WordPress. Pinned this to have it close at hand to read again!
Kate
I’m so glad you’ve found the post helpful, Holly. Hope your transition to WordPress goes well!
Jynni
Thanks so much for this Kate! Great wise words from the voice of experience! I just started my blog (for fructose free recipes), and have already decided to switch from blogspot to wordpress (the site isn’t live yet though). I have forwarded your suggestions to my website guy… :)
Kate
You’re welcome, Jynni! Food blogging can be so tricky to figure out alone so I’m glad you found my tips helpful. Please let me know when your blog goes live. I don’t know much about eating a fructose-free diet!
Jynni
Oops! I forgot to come back and let you know when my blog went live. Only 9 months late…
Kate
Glad it’s up! I love the header!
kelly rae
I’m in the process of re-creating a blog that I initially started in 2010 and quickly abandoned because it was “too time-consuming.” I read your blog regularly and really appreciate these tips. Thanks so much!
Kate
Thanks, Kelly. I’m really glad you found my tips helpful. Blogging can be so overwhelming, I know!
Bailey
Hi Kate and Cookie!
I feel like this comment forum is one big friendly family of bloggers (established and up and coming). I am in the process of switching my little blog from Tumblr to a domain/web hosted/wordpress platform just because you inspired me! I can’t wait to re-launch my baby, and I hope you will see it one day!
Keep doing what you are doing! :) :)
Kate
Thank you, Bailey! Please let me know when your new blog is up and running. I’d love to see it!
Mollie
THANK YOU!!! My friends and family are getting so tired of hearing me talk about wanting to blog, but not doing anything about it, because, gosh I just didn’t know where to start! No more excuses.
Kate
You’re welcome, Mollie! Be sure to send me a link to your blog when it’s up and running!
Christina Joy
I’ve been sitting on the fence for awhile when it comes to whether or not to start a pro-health, pro-food, pro-recovery (I’m a former bulimic) blog where I can say whatever I want and post a plethora of breakfast photos without getting judged. You’ve inspired me to get serious about it. Also, did I mention I want to cook every recipe on your blog? Like, all at once. Nom.
Kate
Thanks, Christina! Best of luck with your blog. Let me know when it’s up.
Kim
Thank you!!! I am about to migrate over to a self hosted WordPress site and you just made two of my decisions so much easier- I’m going with Elegant Themes and Liquid Web!
Kate
You’re welcome, Kim! Hope the two work great for you.
Kim DeBerry
Thank you SO MUCH for the useful information! I spent hours upon hours researching this over a year ago to start a blog, but my mother fell ill, so the blog was put on the back burner. I’m now having to re educate myself on the best way to go. Hopefully your suggestions will save me more hours upon hours of research! Thank you again!
Johanna
Thank you so much for all of the info. I’ve often started to look into the process of a self-hosted site and SEO optimization, but I quickly get overwhelmed by the time and commitment. But I put so much time and effort into my blog, that it seems like it’s the time to really put full effort in.
I currently use the free WordPress, with a purchased domain name (so my site does not end with wordpress.com) and a few upgrades. Do you know, or have you seen a good guide on switching to self-hosted? I’m curious to what extent I can transfer my existing content and whether there are risks to transferring.
Kate
Hi Johanna, I’m glad you’re thinking about switching to a self-hosted wordpress blog. You should be able to make the switch without losing your existing content. I think the risk lies in losing SEO value for your posts at their current URLs. You’ll want to make sure your old URLs redirect to your new URLs. I just did some research and it looks like you can pay wordpress.com to redirect your URLs for a year for $12 to $13. Seems worth it to me! Here are a couple guides you might find useful: http://mashable.com/2011/02/09/move-blog-wordpress-com-org/ and http://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-properly-move-your-blog-from-wordpress-com-to-wordpress-org/
Jenn
Kate! I found your lovely site through the Horchata guest post you did for TurnTable Kitchen (I have almonds soaking in my fridge as I type this). I decided to sit down and dig through your blog as I wasn’t familiar with it. Oh. My. Gawd! What an amazing job you’ve done at compiling helpful tips for bloggers. As an off-again-on-again blogger I’m trying to get back up to speed and stick to a content schedule in the coming months. I just wanted to say Muchas Gracias for taking the time to put together such thorough posts!
Kate
Thank you so much, Jenn! So glad you appreciate the tips. xo.
Rollie
This is huge. Thank you. My two favorite domain names are taken, still thinking… Quickest question – when I use a person’s recipe but adapt it a little (or don’t) are there rules about citing the recipe/chef? Thank you so much, Rollie
Kate
Hi Rollie, hope you can find a domain you love soon. Great question about recipe attribution, and yes, there are definitely laws to consider. If you are not making any changes to the recipe and the recipe is available online, proper etiquette would be to just link to the original recipe. Here’s a great post that goes into more detail about copyright laws, etc.: http://foodblogalliance.com/a/recipe-attribution/
Suzanne
This is amazingly comprehensive! I’ve started my own blog with the help of this guide; thanks Kate! If you have a chance, check it out and let me know what you think. I would love any feedback :)
Kate
Hey Suzanne! I’m so glad you found the guide helpful. Your blog is super cute and I love the clean white layout! Terrific recipes, too. I have one little suggestion, one that I am going to incorporate in this guide, but that would be to change your permalink structure. I’m hesitant to suggest it to you now since it may cause problems, but if it does, you can easily switch it back. Go to your wordpress settings and click permalinks, then select “post name” and save. Check your blog and click on some old posts to make sure the links work. If not, you can go back to your permalinks setting and change them back to what you have now, day and name. I only suggest doing this because your posts are more likely to rank higher in search results and be clicked without all the extra stuff in your URLs. I hope it’s easy to do! Better to change it now than try to fix it later.
topdiablo3
Oh. My. Gawd! What an amazing job you’ve done at compiling helpful tips for bloggers.
Stephanie
THANK YOU OH SO MUCH! I stumbled across this post when searching “Food blogging for Dummies” (don’t laugh) because I’ve finally decided that yes, I actually do want to take this blogging thing seriously. I’m not ready to jump from blogger yet, but I sincerely appreciate all the tips and “behind the scenes” glimpses you’re providing. You have made this so cut and dry that I’d be a fool not to move forward with this. Thank you for taking the time to cultivate more food bloggers out there. Definitely subscribing to you as soon as I hit “post comment”. :)
xoxo
Bella
Great info. I have a blog already but you guys suggested some plugins I was unaware of. I will definitely be adding them…thanks!
Sami
Hi Kate (and cookie!),
I just wanted to thank you for this invaluable information. It gave me the confidence I needed to know that starting a blog was actually feasible and the information to actually go through with it! I don’t know what I would have done without you ( :
Kate
You’re welcome, Sami! I’m so glad you found it helpful. Thank you for commenting!
Amy
Hi Kate, thanks for the great tips!! I’m starting a food blog and honestly I was pretty lost until I saw this post :’ ).
Soumya
Hello,
Thanks for your guide, I just started a food blog on blogger and now switching to wordpress. I found this page while searching how to select a good theme. Unfortunately I have already purchased godaddy hosting :-( Is there any problems with that?
Kate
No, your hosting shouldn’t be a problem! If your traffic grows by a lot, you might want to switch to Liquid Web or another host, but GoDaddy will be fine for now.
The Edinburgers
Great guide for newbie food bloggers. A lot of people would assume most of these are a given but a good reminder and very useful for the less tech savy among us :) Cheers!
Kripali Angle
HOW DO I START A FOOD BLOG? This was something I just didn’t know. One click and I need not look any further! You have provided all the information I was looking for. All my doubts have been clarified and now soon I shall start my food blog. Thanks a lot :-)
Jordan
Great article! I was wondering why you do not recommend godaddy for food blogs? I am in the process of working on migrating my blogger site to my own domain name and have it through godaddy.
Kate
Hey Jordan, great question. I don’t recommend Godaddy hosting because their customer support is terrible. My site slowed down considerably (due to increased traffic) and their support staff wouldn’t tell me why. It was really frustrating. I have heard better things about Blue Host, which is why I recommend them as an inexpensive option.
Phillippa Cannon
I found these tips extremely helpful when setting up my food blog. I am also sharing it with a friend who wants to start blogging. Thank you so much for the great and easy to understand advice.
Kate
Glad to hear it, Phillippa!
Mandy
Hi Kate, I seem to have stumbled upon your blog whilst looking for food photography tips for blogging and it’s great! :) I have to say it’s come a bit late though, as – after weeks of resarch – I’d finally decided to go with wordpress.com (but with my own domain name and email address) as I’m completely new to blogging and haven’t a clue about the technical side of things. I still haven’t got anything up and running, because I’m being extra cautious about getting things right from the start, but can you please tell me why you do not recommend wordpress.com and prefer a self hosted wordpress.org? I’d really appreciate your advice!
Many thanks, Mandy (UK)
Kate
Hi Mandy, great question! You can certainly set up your blog on wordpress.com. WordPress.com has some limitations, like you can’t install Google Analytics (I haven’t checked on that in a while). The nice thing about a wordpress.org blog is that it’s all yours. If you’re not tech-savvy, though, wordpress.com will be fine as you start your blog. Hope that helps!
Mandy Parrett
Hi Kate, so sorry I’ve only just re-visited your site and seen your reply to the comment I left AGES ago! Thanks so much for getting straight back to me (maybe I didn’t check the ‘notify me of reply’ box!) :) In the end I did go with a self-hosted wordpress.org blog…I obviously didn’t mention that I’m the queen of indecision too! I used a very straight-forward theme and haven’t needed to do any css coding or html stuff – phew! I’m now wondering whether I need to include an RSS Feed though. I have an email subscription form, but I’ve heard that an RSS feed can increase traffic to a blog?! Do you have any thoughts/suggestions?
Many thanks in advance,
Mandy
Kate
Mandy, I’m sorry, your comment got buried and I just found it again. Yes, I absolutely recommend offering an RSS feed. Your readers will have different preferences for how they keep up with your blog. Some people prefer to keep up with blogs by mail or facebook, and others (like me, hi!) prefer to follow via RSS. You can set yours up for free at Feedburner. It’s one of those set-it-and-forget-it features.
Mandy - The Sticky Fig
Thanks so much for your advice, Kate. I’ve read that Feedburner is a bit outdated and can cause problems (have you encountered that?) but I shall definitely look at it again. I like the idea of ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ – that’s me with all technology! :D
Thanks again :)
Mandy
Kate
I don’t know if Feedburner will be around forever, but it has worked fine for the past 4+ years for me! You might look around for alternative RSS feed services if you’re worried about it.
Helen
What an amazing post! I’m thinking of transitioning from Blogger to WordPress.. Just got to figure out how though! But these tips are really amazing :)
Bola
I could not have stumbled on this post at a better time. Am about to start a food blog and these tips are really helpful. Thanks alot and keep up the good work.
Heather
just transitioning this rocky food blog journey after a frustrating blogger site. I don’t understand:
Once you’ve installed WordPress, go to Settings > Permalink Settings page and change your permalink structure to “Post name”. Hit save.
not sure how to get to settings. is this from the wordpress site? I am using blue host and have created URL. any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Kate
Heather, I’m sorry you’re having trouble. Did you follow BlueHost’s instructions on how to install WordPress on your new site? If so, once you have installed WordPress, you’ll need to log into your site’s WordPress admin to change your permalink settings, theme, etc. Once you’re logged in, look at the options listed in the black lefthand sidebar. If you hover over “Settings,” you will see an option labeled “Permalinks”. Click on that and you can change your settings as I instructed above.
Heather
Thanks so much. that was easy (of course) there was a problem logging into wordpress, but just had to reset my password. Still working my way down the to do list. Thanks for all the great info.
Kate
Glad you got it straightened out! Best of luck with your self-hosted blog!
Isadora
I had been thinking about moving my blog over to a self-hosted WordPress blog for a while and I read a lot of advice posts similar to this one, but for some reason yours really stuck out to me and gave me the push that I needed to switch over. I’m not the most technical person, so I’m still learning the ropes, but I couldn’t be happier with my new website and everything WordPress has to offer! Thanks for sharing your advice and amazing recipes!
Kate
Thanks for commenting, Isadora! I’m so glad you found the tips helpful. Your blog looks terrific. Gorgeous header!
Lorena
Oh my God! You don’t have a clue how helpful this post is for me! Thanks a lot! (Love your blog BTW)
KATE (WHAT A GREAT NAME!)
JUST STARTING A WEBSITE AND A SMALL FOOD BUSINESS. I WANTED TO START BLOGGING ABOUT COOKING AND LOVE YOUR WEBSITE AND ADVISE. DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZING MY RECIPES SO THAT I CAN PUBLISH THEM FOR PRINT??? THANKS AND WOULD LOVE YOUR INPUT
Kate
Hey Kate, do you mean that you want to organize your recipes for a printed cookbook? I’m sorry, I’ve never done that. If you want nice printed books with pictures, I think blurb.com can help you do that. Or you could also search for “cookbook template” for a more do-it-yourself approach.
Lindsay
This is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your tips!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Lindsay!
Adriane
Thank you so much for this post! I started a blog on blogspot several months ago and I am planning on moving it to wordpress and paying for a domain name. I have been putting it off because it sounds overwhelming but your step by step guide makes it seem so easy!
Kate
Adriane, I’m glad you found my guide. Good luck! You can do it!
Five O'clock Shallots
Kate – thank you very much for this comprehensive guide. It was really helpful in thinking and creating my blog. The pulgin recommendations have been so helpful! Thanks again and keep up the amazing job you’re doing. It’s inspirational.
Leah
Hi Kate –
I adore your blog!! My blog is only 8 months old so I’m definitely going to read through all of this tips – can’t wait to implement some of your advice!
I wanted to ask if you have attended any conferences with other bloggers and how important you think this is to grow your network. I am looking at the Alt Summit this June, the Food Blog Forum in Asheville in August, IFBC and the Big Potluck later this year. Any thoughts? Thanks so much,
Leah
Kate
Hey Leah! Great question. I have only been to one blog conference (Alt Summit) and it wasn’t designed for food bloggers. I went with the goal of hanging out with my blog friends and making more friends. I didn’t learn a whole lot from the sessions, but that wasn’t my goal anyway. I can’t comment on the other conferences, but I would say that more than anything, it’s just important to meet other bloggers in general. You don’t necessarily need a conference for that but it can be a good way of doing it.
Kevin
Hi.Ive tried to create a blog but can’t here. Please help me
Kate
Hey Kevin, I’m sorry, but you’ll need to be more specific in order for me to try to help you.
Juan
This was really helpfull thank you!
DM Du Jour
Thank you Kate for the tips. I’ve just start blogging and need all the help I can get. I’ve heard so many good things about Studiopress and their Genesis framework. I should give them a try. Love the layout of your blog!
Nathalie
Hi, thanks for all your information. I want to start a food blog soon but I am not really familiar with any blogging sites apart from tumblr as in the customisation. do you think I should learn WordPress or continue using tumblr and move on to my own domain name after that? I am really confused
Kate
Hey Nathalie, that is a great question and I’m afraid I don’t know the answer for you. If tumblr is working for you, you can totally keep your blog on tumblr. My only suggestion would be to buy a custom domain name so your blog’s URL is easier to remember.
Kate
If you want to get a domain name, here are tumblr’s instructions on how to set it up. If you buy your domain name at GoDaddy, here are GoDaddy’s instructions.
Heather
I’ve been reading a lot of posts about starting a food blog lately (as I have really been wanting to take the plunge), and I really enjoyed how you broke everything down. It certainly helps give me the extra “umph” to get one started! But at times, I find the more I read the more I confuse myself on which path to take – buying your own domain name or simply starting one for free on a blogger.com or wordpress.com. Since I would be such a newbie at this, which do you suggest? Is it difficult to switch over to a more “serious” platform if you started from a free one? How often do you or should you post? How did you come to find your voice? How often do you create new recipes? I’m sure these questions are becoming overwhelming for you just as they are from me! But I would love to get your insight and to hear from your experiences. Thank you!
Kate
Hey Heather! I would use a custom domain name regardless of where you choose to build your site. Transitioning from a free service to self hosted can be a bit tricky but not terribly so. There are guides out there on how to do it. If you’re really serious about starting a blog, I would recommend going with a self-hosted blog. With a self-hosted blog, you can install plugins like Easy Recipe, which will give your recipes a better shot at showing up in search results. BlueHost is $7 a month, so that is pretty cheap. You can post anywhere from one to three times per week, or even once every two weeks—just be consistent about it. Some bloggers think that posting as frequently as possible is the only way to make it, but I grew this blog to the point that I could quit my job with just one post a week and solid SEO practices. My voice is just, well, my real-life voice, but I developed my posting style through trial and error, over time. Good luck!
Sarah
What wordpress theme did you choose for your blog?
Thanks
Sarah
Never mind. I see it is there.
Manasi
Hi Kate,
Such an amazing blog for starters!
I started thinking about food blogging a few days back and have posted a few recipes.. I started researching more and now thinking of moving to WordPress.. But I am so overwhelmed, I mean there are such amazing blogs out there, including yours, so beautiful and neat and clean.. god, I feel busted :D But thanks, for such an informative blog.. love your blog…
Kate
Thanks, Manasi! I understand your intimidation. Don’t let it stop you from trying to make your blog the best it can be!
Kelly
Thank you so much for posting this useful information! I am just starting to set up my blog and this guide has been invaluable and made the whole process much less intimidating. I was thrilled to find a resource that broke down the process in an easy step-by-step manner.
Kate
Thank you for letting me know, Kelly! I’m so glad you found the guide helpful. Love the name of your blog!
Yaznas
Thanks for the tips!
Really awesome… I’m starting my food blog too
Daphne Newman
Hi Kate,
Thanks for doing this pre work, your sympathy to how very overwhelming it is, is refreshing and I have been working on this for months so your support is fabuloso! Trying to understand the technical background lingo for all of this gets frustrating and fearful.
Is the foodie theme you speak of considered a one page blog? I have looked at those considered one pagers in wordpress but they still seem to have all the tabs and other pages too. I am fine with that but just trying to find the easiest way to start so not to get too overwhelmed with creating more than I can handle at the beginning.
Thanks for your insights!
Daphne
Kate
Hi Daphne! No, Foodie is a full-featured theme. I don’t think you’ll want to fit all of your recipes on one page forever. You can install any theme and keep the bells and whistles to a minimum, though. Those demo themes are just built to show you all of the theme’s capabilities. You don’t have to use all of the features!
Maria Ang
Thank you for giving me the “push” to blog.
Kindness with food is the theme of my blog.
I believe sharing this concept might ease the tension among humans.
Kate
You’re welcome, Maria. Best of luck with your new blog!
MIKA
Thanks for this great advise, I found a link to it on pinterest-yay social media! I just started a wordpress, got my own domain and a friend is hosting-but there is still so much to do. Great content, put me at ease and gave me some great ideas!
Kate
Thanks, Mika! Good luck with your new blog!
sedef ozturk aslan
Hi Kate,
I want a blogname.com blog not a blogname.wordpress or blogmane.tumblr.com blog.
Which steps should I take.
Can you please give me some ideas.
Many thanks,
Sedef
Kate
Hi Sedef, blogname.com is a domain name, so you need to first buy a domain name. You can check their availability and purchase a domain name at godaddy.com. Then you’ll need to set up the domain name so it directs your traffic to your site. That will depend on your blog’s platform (e.g. if you’re hosting your blog at wordpress.com, look up wordpress.com’s instructions on how to do so).
Pauline
Thank you for an extraordinarily generous post! I’ve been held back by fear for the past 2+ years and am finally mustering the courage to start a food blog. Reading this post was my first real step. Thank you!
Dylan Pritchard
Great article! My colleagues and I are starting a food blog at the moment, but we also plan to expand it on food-related themes as well. I see we have missed a couple of the plug-ins which are recommended here, mainly Easy Recipe. Is it compatible with the latest version of WordPress?
Kate
I am running the latest version of WordPress with Easy Recipe, no problems! Easy Recipe can be a bit of a memory hog, but I haven’t been able to find a better option. The recipe formatting is really essential if you want to give your recipes a shot at showing up in search results.
Rachel
Love this post! I have one question that I’m hoping you can answer. Should I use wordpress.com or wordpress.org? I’m kinda confused about the difference and reading articles online hasn’t helped me much. It seems like wordpress.org is better if you are hoping your blog becomes well known and successful. I’d love to know what you recommend! Thanks!
Kate
Hey Rachel! That’s a great question. WordPress.com is a fine place to start, but you’re going to run into limitations eventually. With that system, your blog is hosted on wordpress.com—or in other words, your site lives on wordpress.com. WordPress.org is different. It’s the source of WordPress software. They don’t host websites, they just offer software that you can install on your own host (the key phrase being “self-hosted WordPress installation”). The benefits of a self-hosted website include full ownership and unlimited capabilities. If you’re serious about blogging, self-hosted WordPress is the way to go. Bluehost makes it really easy to set up (I have more details and tips in the above article). Hope this helps!
Susan
Hi Kate. Similar question to others… I have been running a WordPress.com site for a year now and it’s becoming nicely established. You mentioned that if one’s interested in monetizing eventually, you can run into limitations with WordPress.com. What sort of limitations? I’m basically wanting to know whether it’s possible to press on with the site I’ve built up, or whether it would be essential to move to WordPress.org eventually anyway. Also, when do you know it’s a good time to monetize… any clues? Thanks in advance.
Kate
Hi Susan! Your site is beautiful. I haven’t verified that this is still the case, but last time I checked, wordpress.com lacked some pretty basic SEO settings. I really believe your site will receive more search traffic if you can customize your meta descriptions and use a recipe formatting plugin. Actually, there are so many recipes floating around on the internet that I’d say that using a recipe plugin is downright necessary. Beyond SEO, I think wordpress.com will be fine unless you have some fancy design features in mind, in which case you may not be able to accomplish them on wordpress.com. With wordpress.org, the sky’s the limit, as long as you can find a plugin or a developer to get the job done. Some bloggers suggest monetizing right away, but I didn’t want to ugly up my site until I felt like the pay would be worth it. I think I waited until I had a few thousand visitors per day.
Susan
Kate, thanks so much for your lovely compliment and your reply in general – it’s really helpful. I’ve since learned you can pay WordPress.com to transfer all your information over to a new WordPress.org site, so it’s something I’ll definitely consider. Thanks again.
InspiredSoup
Thanks for the info, just created my first site, fingers crossed
Leen
Good information. I really like it. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Bonnie
Hi Kate! Just a few quick questions about hosting. I’m planning on starting my own pescetarian food blog, and am a bit confused about hosting. I’m leaning toward BlueHost, but I’ve read that you (and several other successful bloggers) switched to Liquid Web after your blogs started to take off and gain more viewers. Why did you decide to switch? How easy was it to switch hosting services? Would you recommend just using Liquid Web from the get-go? I know it’s a bit pricier, but I’m willing to pay for the best. Thanks!
Kate
Hey Bonnie, if you want the best and want hosting that can easily scale as your blog grows, go with Liquid Web. BlueHost is good if you want economical hosting to start off with, but you won’t get Liquid Web’s level of performance or support. Liquid Web’s support might be the best part—I can call them and someone knowledgeable will answer the phone in under 60 seconds. You just can’t get that with economy hosting plans.
Chef Jay
Hi Kate,
Thanks for sharing this. Is WordPress really that different from blogger in terms of getting a lot of traffic for your foodblog? I’m quite hesitant in getting my own domain name for now since I’m not sure how much my blog will grow. How much did it cost you total to create your wonderful blog?
Kate
Hey Jay, it didn’t cost me much money to create this blog because I’m pretty tech savvy, but it took me many, many hours to put it together like this. Domain names only cost about $20 per year. I haven’t checked blogspot options lately, but if you want to grow your blog, you need to be on a platform that allows you to use recipe microformatting (I use a WordPress plugin for this) and allows you to edit important on-page SEO factors, like your page title and meta description.
Vishnu
I just started blogging. Once I have the site and everything up, whom to approach for :
1) Copyright
2) Terms of use
3) Privacy
would i be needing the above ?
Please help. Thanks again.
Regards,
Vishnu
Kate
Hey Vishnu, I’m not a lawyer so I’m not qualified to advise you on these matters. To my understanding, if you include a basic copyright symbol and line at the bottom of your site, your work is protected. Terms of use and privacy pages are often required by ad servers and I used basic templates for those, but again, a lawyer would be able to provide more exact terms.
diana
Hi Kate, im writing from Kenya just to appreciate what you’ve shared on setting up a blog and the comments, plus Cookie and Kate is super!! Hope to set up by end of this month.
Thanks again. Di.
Kate
Diana, thank you very much! Best of luck with your blog!
Marsha Powell
Wow! Lots of great information. Unfortunately, I’m really not that tech savvy. I started a blog on blogspot (address is above). I’ve tried to promote it and even started a facebook page. But, I’m going nowhere. My husband and I are on a fixed income, so paying others is something that really can’t be done. I want to be able to connect with other bloggers. I’ve been adding their blinkies, so maybe that would help? Anyway, thank you for the information.
Kate
Hi Marsha! I have found that the best way to connect with other bloggers is to leave thoughtful comments on their recent posts and connect with them on twitter. Good luck!
Ramazan Recber
Hello …
Your website very beautiful…
I am waiting my website thank you…
Andy
Hello!
I love you website!
And this post is so helpful as I am trying to start my own food blog. It gave me a lot to think about and provided a lot of guidance!
I do have one question, is there any plugin or website that I should go to in order to add the copy right sign or information to my blog? I’m currently using wordpress.com
Kate
Hey Andy! I’m pretty sure you should be able to find a “footer” area in your widgets section. You can probably add a text widget to the footer section with a simple copyright statement. I’m not a lawyer, but I believe it could be as simple as, “© Your name 2014. All rights reserved.”
Jamie Dunn
Thanks for the tips and all of the links! Very useful. I’ve been wanting to start a blog and I know enough coding to make a basic website. Hopefully starting a new project will help me work on my design skills without being too frustrating! :]
Kate
Good luck, Jamie! You can do it!
kim
This is a great post. I have made it step 4. I went with bluehost, and a free theme and am now stuck and not sure where to turn. My blog is to share recipes with family and friends. I have a full-time job so don’t have time to spend hours on it. I work all day on a computer so hard to do it through the night too. This leaves the weekends and holidays. There are some features I would like and I don’t know if I can’t do them with the free theme or if I just can’t figure it out. I want a page that has the picture of the recipe and when you click on the picture it takes you to the post with that recipe. I am thinking about buying the foodie theme from studio press. Do you know if this is something they would be able to help me with if I purchased a theme from them? How is the support from Studio theme? Can you actually talk to someone on the phone or is it all on-line? Thank you. I love your site!
Kate
Hey Kim, I totally understand your frustration. I know that Foodie offers a built-in recipe index like you are describing. Here is an example of their default recipe index on my friend’s blog: http://saltedplains.com/recipes/. Studiopress support is all online and I generally have better luck asking for help in their forums than asking Studiopress. Good luck!
Ahlam
Hey this info is great, i just have one question. I want to start out a free test blog to get the feel of it all. What site do you recommend I use to begin with?
Thanks!
Kate
Hey Ahlam, I’d try wordpress.com!
Ana
Hi Kate,
Very well written help on how to start a food blog. Will let you know once my site is up :). Thank a ton!
Kate
Glad you found it helpful, Ana! Good luck!
Crystal
Hi there, I am trying to start my own blog and i have found that yours is very helpful. Thank you. I am, however, on a pretty tight budget getting this started and paid for my domain and theme and then went to try and install it and it wont let me. it wants another $49 to do it for me and there is NO option to do it myself. Please help?
Kate
Crystal, I’m sorry I didn’t answer your question sooner! I was out of the country. If you installed WordPress on your server, you should be able to download the theme to your computer as a .zip file and then upload the .zip file on the Appearance > Themes page. Can you do that? Let me know if you need more help. You shouldn’t have to pay $49 for them to install it.
Caroline
Thanks for these tips, Kate, I have just started blogging myself and found these about the easiest to follow that I could find and have followed pretty much all of them!
Aneta @wolfgoesvegan
Dear Kate! This is the most useful and organized info about setting up a blog that I have found out there! I followed almost all of your advice about plugins (some have still to be installed) and your guide helped me sooo much! A bow and a thank you! PLUS: Your pics are wonderful:) xxx
Kate
Thanks, Aneta! That’s really great to hear. Best of luck with your new blog! Love the name. :)
Natalie
Hi, Like everyone else wanting to start a blog the whole tech side is overwhelming… Im in the UK and found the Foodie style blog template however I’m confused to wether this is suitable for UK users or will I come up with issues.. Also is this a word press theme, im so not technical. sorry
Thanks
NAtalie x
Kate
Hi Natalie, I’m not aware of any issues that you might experience in the UK with the Foodie theme. You might want to double check with the Foodie theme people, though, to be sure.
Anuj Dwivedi
Hello , With the help of your tutorial i just setup my blog but not getting subscribe button like you will you please tell me what plugin you used for that its look really attractive
Kate
Hi Anuj! I use the “Genesis eNews Extended” plugin. It looks good out of the box, but I tinkered with my CSS to make mine look the way they do.
Anuj Dwivedi
Thanks for telling me the plugin name. Rest I will manage my self I have one more question to you. As this website is just not about recipes. I want to publish your Interview In my website as I found your Blog best in this niche will you please allow me to do this ?
I want to start my Food Blogger section with your Interview
Kate
Hey Anuj, please feel free to email me your interview questions. I’m pretty swamped with the holidays but I’ll do my best!
Anuj Dwivedi
Thanks and I will mail you my question today and want to say one more thing no doubt you are good cook but as a person you are awesome :D
Owen
Thank you so much for this! Great help. Have been wanting to take my passion for food further and actually start my own business. I am excited to start the new year on a new project! Thanks again!
Sami
Hi Kate,
Do you have a backup of your blog? In case the BlueHost server crashes?
This just occurred to me, but I’ve never seen any reference to people doing that
Happy new year!
Sami
Kate
Hey Sami, yes, I do! I use a service called Vaultpress. A free option is Comcure, I’ve heard good things about it.
Cassie
Hi Kate! I’m in the processing of starting my own food blog and I just wanted to let you know that this post has been extremely informative. Thank you so much!
I’ve been looking around and comparing different web hosts and am still trying to pick one. A friend suggested just hosting with wordpress.com directly, but I’m assuming that’s not a popular option with food bloggers simply because of the limited features? Or in other words you’d have to pay a pretty decent amount for a business plan in order to get things like the unlimited space and custom site address, support, etc. Am I thinking along the right lines here?
Also, another question for you, if you start with one web host (say Blue Host) is it possible to later switch to another (say LiquidWeb)?
Thanks so much!
Kate
Hey Cassie, I’m so sorry I didn’t answer your questions sooner. Yes, wordpess.com has limited features and that’s why I recommend self-hosted WordPress sites instead. Yep, you can definitely switch hosts later on. Liquid Web was very helpful in transferring my site over when I made the switch.
Alexia
Kate, Just want to say thank you for writing this post. I pinned it awhile back and it really helped me launch my first self hosted blog. I seriously don’t think I would have found studiopress on my own and the previous themes I tried left me in I’m-having-trouble-coding tears. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise!
Kate
Hooray, glad to hear that, Alexia. Best of luck with your new blog!
Shawn
Hi Kate,
This is an awesome post. Thanks so much for pointing me in the right direction. I set my blog up about a month ago and am still very new to food blogging. I have a lot of web experience in general but this was still a great guide for the easiest way to create a website without a headache. Now I’m addicted to Foodgawker.
Thanks again and really appreciated all of your tips!
Kate
Glad to hear it, thanks Shawn!
Nina
I love the look and feel of your blog. Can you tell me which fonts you use? I’m setting up a site to show off my writing portfolio.
PS: Your recipes are delish! I found you a few months ago looking for asian slaw. Now, I’m using you as benchmark for blog design.
Sarah P
Thank you for sharing this insight, Kate! Your post really helped me get started with my site. I especially love the google analytics tools and all of the flexibility of wordpress!
Kate
Thank you, Sarah! Glad you appreciate it. Best of luck with your new site!
Adhar Budhraja
What a helpful post, thanks! I have learned a lot and know it will help as I make the switch from Blogger to WordPress.
Jenny
This was very valuable information! Thank you so much for sharing, very insightful on the whole blogging process :)
Lynn
Hi Kate,
I needed to take a minute to thank you. Your guide convinced me to go ahead and finally start my own blog. I wanted it to look professional from day 1 and I must say that it has been a great hit ever since I launched. Your guide has helped me incredibly much, and I am so grateful you put it together for people like me. Keep up the awesome work.
Thanks again and greetings from Germany,
Lynn
Kate
Thank you, Lynn! I’m so glad to hear it. Best of luck with your new blog! I can see why it’s a hit, it looks fantastic!
Leah
Hi Kate! I just wanted to let you know that this post helped me so much in starting my food blog/website! I am still trying to figure out some kinks here and there, but thank you so much for these instructions. If you have any tips on how to create multiple tabs/get a design for my header, that would be really great :) Thanks so much and I love your blog!
اكلات حواء
thank you very much :)
Yossra
Wow! Thanks so so much for all your help ! That’s great it’s really very overwhelming at the beginning !! lots of information and things to do to start a food blog . But the way you put it together is extremely helpful . Hope I can launch my site soon !!
Thanks again you are awesome!!
Kate
Thanks, Yossra! Good luck with your new blog!
Julie - Cupcakes n Sweet Treats
Thanks Kate for the tips. I learnt so much between your site and the pinch of yum site. Food blogging is such great fun but you need a very good camera!
Kate
Thanks Julie, glad you appreciate my resources! Pinch of Yum’s posts are great.
foxfaces
hi, really great tips, I’ve read your guide over and over to see if I’ve missed anything. I think the next step is now to buy a domain, we’ve been blogging for a short time now, and I think this is a way to move it to a more serious level.
Shital
What a great post! I read your suggestions and got very inspired! I went from blogger to my own page and I have to absolutely thank you for all your steps/advice! Your website it beautiful and it is so wonderful that you shared your experience for others to use! Thanks!!!
Kate
Thank you so much, Shital! I’m so glad you found this page helpful. Best of luck with your new blog. It looks great!
Melissa Lockerman
Hi!
Thank you so much for this help! I am a lover of cooking, photography, and writing, so a food blog seems like a wonderful way to spend my time. I am not entirely computer savvy, however. So, at your suggestion, I signed up for bluehost and I am on the WordPress step, but I am not seeing any “free themes,” nor do I have any idea how to choose a theme despite your wonderful tips! I like the suggestion of the Foodie Pro, but not sure how that is related to the bluehost thing, since it seems separate?? If I buy Foodie Pro, is this hosted by bluehost? A little confused and would appreciate your advice. Thank you!
Kate
Hey Melissa, I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner! Just found your question. There are a variety of free WordPress theme sources on the internet. Check here: https://wordpress.org/themes/. Your blog is hosted by Bluehost regardless of which theme you choose. Basically, your blog “lives” on your Bluehost server and runs on WordPress software. You can pick any free WordPress theme you like or buy Foodie Pro Theme (it’s my top pick).
chandre
I’m in the planning stages is starting a food blog. Have my sister in law who is a designer doing my heading and design work, my husband is a programmer so he will help me with hosting and setting my blog up. My question is, what sort of topic do you start a blog off with? Do yo pre-plan topics ahead of time or do you write about what is inspiring you that particular week? Which means each week might be completely different.
Kate
Wow, you’re so lucky to have a designer and programmer in the family! The beautiful part about running a blog is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. My blog wasn’t even a food blog when I started out, but it turned into one over time, so I would suggest being open to evolution. I will say, though, that there’s a lot of competition out there when it comes to food blogs, so niche subjects seem to do better. Again, though, it’s all up to you!
James
Hi Kate,
Fantastic site btw! I’m an English guy new to blogging and I’m about to embark on this monumental road of food bloggery! I’m wanting to host a .com domain but upon following your link to BlueHost it timed out :(
I would just go to their site but thought it’d be better to inform you and you could maybe fix the link for me to use?
Thanks and godspeed!
James.
Kate
Hey James! Thank you so much for commenting. I have no idea why the Bluehost links weren’t working for you, but that is not good! I just clicked on them and they all worked. Perhaps you could give it another try, when you have a chance? Thank you again for your support and best of luck with your new blog!
James
Hi Kate, thanks so much for your reply! Well after another click it worked fine so not sure what was going on there! Anyway I’m in and now have a domain with WordPress installed too. My question is: I’d like the Foodie Pro Theme, but if I purchase it from the link here on your page how do I then get it to my new site? Do I login to my WordPress after purchasing, and it links it to it? Thanks again, J.
Kate
Hi James, glad you’re figuring it out! You can purchase the theme through my link and then you’ll be able to download it. Once you’ve downloaded it to your computer, log into your WordPress site and go to Appearance > Themes. You can upload it and activate it there. I believe that the creator of the Foodie Theme offers tutorials on installation and customization that you may find helpful.
Amanda Kegley
This is great! Thank you so much for the widget tips. I just created my blog and am researching good apps to make it better. Can’t wait to start blogging!
Kate
Thanks, Amanda! Best of luck with your new blog!
Ashley
Hey Kate!
Thanks so much for all the great information. This post was really helpful in helping me choose a lot of elements for my blog. As I get closer and closer to officially launching my blog I’m revisiting some of my favorite posts to make sure I appreciate you for all of your advice. You’ve definitely had a great impact on how I formed by blog look.
Kylie
Just thought you may want to know, the video ad on the right side of your site keeps making the page jump back to that spot . Loving your advice on starting a blog, as I am currently researching doing just that but it makes it really hard to read what is posted because the page jumps every few seconds and i can’t get through a paragraph. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Kate
Kylie, I am so bummed to hear about that issue! I have asked my ad guy to hunt it down. Thank you so much for telling me, and I’m sorry you had a negative experience on my blog!
Jan
Hi Kate thank you for such a detailed and helpful post. Your generosity is so refreshing.
My question is: how do I go about starting a blog that’s just meant for me to be able to share recipes with my children, who have left home and want to cook what their mom used to, the way their mom used to. I don’t think I’m ready to start a full blown self hosted blog just yet, but then again I am SO GREEN at this whole blogging thing that maybe that’s what I should do. .please help. I’m really confused as to what to do. Thank you!
Kate
Hi Jan! If you would simply like to share recipes with your family, I think you would be just fine with a simple, free option. Maybe wordpress.com? You could buy a custom domain name if you’d like to make it look a little fancier.
Sophie
Hi Kate,
Thanks so much for all this great information!
I was wondering, what plugin are you using for your own visual recipe index? It looks perfect! It’s exactly what I’m looking for.
I don’t have the foodie theme so I don’t have access to a built-in recipe index within my theme, and I’ve tried the Visual recipe index plugin but haven’t had a lot of success with it… I’ve been having issues with alignment of the thumbnails and customization of the font.
I would love to know what you are using or if you have any good visual recipe plugin to recommend?
Thank you!!
Sophie
Kate
Hey Sophie! I use a plugin called list category posts, it sounds just like the one you’ve been playing with. I had to customize the display of the thumbnails and font myself. Good luck!
Omealo
Hello Kate,
This is Sadie Robertson. It’s really great blog for learning small tips for starting a food blog. I am really impressed you are active here.
Great Job. Thanks for sharing with us…!
Grace at GraceHalfFull
Hi Kate! I had been playing with the idea for a few months prior to seeing this post, and I just wanted to let you know that it was so helpful! Thank you for taking the time to write and share this! I was wondering how to set up the drop down menu at the top of your page for “All Recipes.” That feature makes different pages so accessible and is really useful!
Kate
Thanks, Grace! Glad you like that feature. Drop-down menus are built into my WordPress theme, so I just created my pages/categories and linked to them under the menu options. Hope that helps.
Kaela
Thank you so much for this awesome informative post!
Just out of curiosity, because I am trying to make my most well informed decision, why do you suggest wordpress? I just have heard of other places like blogger and blogspot (I am quite ignorant on the subject, for all I know blogger and blogspot are the same thing) but basically I am just wondering why wordpress over all others? I hope it wasnt already answered in the post. I did read it thoroughly last week, and then skimmed it again today, I hope I didnt miss it.
Anyway, thanks so much!
Kate
Hi Kaela! Good question. I recommend WordPress because you can install recipe plugins and SEO plugins. Without those features, you’re pretty unlikely to rank well in the search engines. Also, WordPress is open-source software that is frequently updated and cutting edge. The other options are not.
Cher
Dear Kate, I just want you to know that I’m deeply grateful for your post! I have finally ventured into starting my own food blog. It’s not perfect nor is it as professional looking as some of the others out there, but I’m slowly trying to find my style and your post has definitely inspired and helped me accomplish everything I have so far! You’re amazing. Can’t thank you enough!
Kate
Thank you, Cher! Glad to hear it. Good luck with your new blog!
Naomi @Carrot Cake Kitchen
I officially launched my food blog today! Your post really helped me get off the ground! Thank you!
Kate
Hooray!!! Your blog looks great, Naomi. I want that apple salad! Glad to help!
Naomi @Carrot Cake Kitchen
thank you! I just saw you’re new to kc..me too! welcome!
Kate
Thanks Naomi! I’m approaching three years in KC, so it feels like home now!