Hello friends! Good news here…I want to make a quick and simple tutorial to help you start your food blog!
This post was updated on April 10, 2017.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the link below are affiliate links meaning I will receive a commission if you purchase products via the links. I only promote products that I have used personally and would recommend to you and are with companies that I trust.
I know when I got started I was very overwhelmed with all of the mumbo jumbo I didn’t understand when it comes to developing a website. I want to help break it down for you so it is simple and fun. There are a couple important tips that will make your life easier down the road! So keep reading and learn my tips and tricks!
#1 Choose a Web Hosting Service
You are going to need space for your blog on the web so you need a company to do that for you. I chose Bluehost, and they are definitely the right choice!! They are not a free company but you are going to be spending hours and hours on your blog making it look snazzy. You want a service that is reliable and dependable not free.
#2 CHOOSE A DOMAIN NAME
This is the fun part! What do you want everyone searching to go to your blog!?! Mine is uh obviously… 3 Scoops of Sugar. This is where you can brainstorm and jot down several different ideas you have and test to see if any of them exist already. You are almost there!!!
See no stress, just a quick way to get started with your very own food blog! I have always wanted a fancy way to have all my recipes on my computer. Now I have that and so much more! I am sharing my passion with the world!
Helpful Tips:
Be Creative
Make it 4 words or less
Memorable
#3 INSTALL WORDPRESS AND CHOOSE A THEME
If your web host is Bluehost, then you need to log in to bluehost and choose Install WordPress from the website builders section. That will bring you to a Mojo Marketplace and you then can click Install.
Now you need to select the domain you would like to install wordpress on from a dropdown box. This is simple. You will see a bar across the top with the progress of the installation that is underway. When the installation is complete, you will click the box that pops us saying View Credentials.
Then you will see a box with your admin credentials along with the admin URL you will need to know to log in to your website. Make sure to jot down the username and password listed, copy and paste the URL into your browser and log in with the username and password listed on the previous page. You can change your password later to something more memorable.
YEAH! You have now logged in to your very own website!! How exciting!!
#4 TIME TO FANCY UP YOUR BLOG!
The fun is now beginning! There are thousands of themes to choose from, so I suggest you just start playing around and seeing what you like. I suggest starting with a free theme that you like and you can always upgrade in the future. There are so many awesome themes that are free.
I started out with the free Kerli theme and upgraded to the premium Kerli version for only $20 a few weeks into blogging. It was just a small investment that added a lot of customization tools to make my blog my own.
Recently I have updated the look of my website. Julie from Deluxe Designs performed some customization of my new website and I currently use Foodie Pro for a theme.
Plugins to add-
Now this part really confused me as I was getting started. I had no idea what these things were and which ones I needed and which ones I did not. I will break this down for you. Plugins are tools. Think of it as an extension cord with an infinite number of access. You can then download a “plugin” to help your blog do something to help you. I have comprised a list of plugins you should use from day one.
1. Akismet– Protect your website from spam comments. No one wants spam on their website, so the best way to rid your blog from this is to download this plugin to protect your site.
2. WP Limit Login Attempts– You definitely want to keep people from hacking in to your site. This plugin blocks users after 5 wrong attempts. The number of people that have tried to log in to 3 Scoops of Sugar is absolutely nuts. You want this plugin!
3. Google Analytics– This is a fun one! To track your visitors and pageviews, you should download this plugin. It tells you exactly how many people are coming to your blog everyday, every week, and every month. It is fun to see your blog growing!
4. Easy Recipe Plus– This is the plugin I use to display my recipes. It is a great tool and for $24.95 the extra features available are so worth it! I totally recommend this for displaying your recipes.
5. Pinterest “Pin It” Button- This is a free plugin you can use to display a pin it button to your post and images to allow people to pin your recipes to pinterest. This is a must to increase traffic to your blog. You definitely need to get familiar with social media. I have to say I am still learning!
So, there you go! I hope this helps you to get your food blog up and running! I can not wait to see what you make! Have a great day!
Do not wait! Sign up with Bluehost today! The going rate right now is $3.95 as listed in the box at the top, and that will be your rate! The box below is just a link.
