How to Start a Food Blog with WordPress
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Every so often I get an email from someone with questions regarding blogging and where to begin. This blog is in its 17th year of existence, and I’m still learning and tweaking all the time.
Getting started:
1. First things first: you need a name. If only I had given the naming process five minutes of thought, I could have prevented years of confusion. When I named this blog Alexandra’s Kitchen, the URL “alexandraskitchen.com” wasn’t available, so I chose alexandracooks.com, which has confused people over the years — is it Alexandra’s Kitchen? or Alexandra Cooks?
My advice: Match your blog name to its URL. Before you commit, run the name by some friends. Keep it short and snappy. Make it memorable. Be clever. Not too clever. I have failed on all accounts.
And before you get your heart set on a name, check to see if it’s available:
2. You need a publishing platform and a host. I have used WordPress — a Content Management System (CMS) for years — which I love for a number of reasons: ease of use, community support (answers to any question can be found online), and plugins. There are many CMS’s out there, but I can only speak with any knowledge about WordPress.
There are two routes you can take: wordpress.com (free) or wordpress.org (not free). WordPress.com is a great place to start if you want to test out the world of blogging. If you discover you like blogging, you can easily migrate your content to wordpress.org. You can compare the differences in more depth here, but in short, wordpress.org gives you more control over the design, plugins, and themes for your site.
When you use wordpress.org, you need a host (someone you rent space from). I used Bluehost when I first started because it is extremely affordable. Monthly fees for hosting are nominal: $3.95/month to start. If you find your traffic growing and you need more support, WP Engine is a great option.
If you go the wordpress.org route, your host company (Bluehost, WP Engine, Liquid Web, Flywheel, etc.) should be able to install WordPress for you. Don’t struggle. Get on the phone; let someone walk you through it.
3. Designing your site. The beauty of WordPress is that there are thousands of themes out there, many of which are free. Think of a theme as this: a basic framework or layout. Colors and fonts can all be tailored as can layout. But the most important requirement you should consider when picking a theme is this: that it’s responsive, meaning the layout of your site will adjust to the device on which it is being displayed. Not only does google care if your site is responsive, but many people now appreciate — expect — a responsive site when reading websites from their phones and tablets.
I used Feast Design Co. for my most recent Alexandra’s Kitchen logo.
With the release of Gutenberg, WordPress’ new editing experience, it is important to pick a theme that is Gutenberg ready.
Four Essentials to Keep in Mind During the Design Process:
• Speed: A fast site is imperative.
• Search: A good search function clearly located at the top of the page is essential. This search function should be easily accessible in the mobile arena (phones, tablets, etc.) as well.
• Organization: Assigning categories — the beauty of WordPress! — to each post you write will allow people to browse your archives. You can then create links for these categories — for example: Breakfast, Salads, CSAs, Desserts, Bread — and make them accessible from your main menu. I only just found a way to display my categories in a way that I like with good-sized thumbnail images: see, for example, Vegetarian.
• Printer-friendly: People really appreciate when recipes can be easily printed (a feature I failed to provide for years). I use the WP Tasty recipe plugin, whose printer-friendly display I really like.
4. You need a camera and a phone. I use the Canon 5D Mark III. All Photography tips here. I use my iphone for Instagram and Instagram stories.
workspace:
props:
5. Photography. There are countless resources on the web for photography. I have created this Pinterest board which features images from some inspiring food photographers. Word of advice: don’t get overwhelmed. I find myself feeling two things these days: The photography on the web has gotten SO good. 2. It’s also gotten too good. I almost don’t trust a site when the photography is too styled or perfect looking. I suggest finding a few photographers whose work you really like, study their photos, then start practicing. You need to get comfortable with your camera. Props such as cloths, bowls and vintage silverware aren’t going to make the image.
Photo-editing software, however, will help. I use Photoshop, which I love and highly recommend. If you go the Photoshop route, I also recommend taking an online course (I did) to learn the basics — it’s not intuitive. Lightroom is also what many photographers recommend or even prefer to Photoshop. There also are a few free options out there. I’ve heard good things about gimp.org.
One other thought:
Vertical vs. Horizontal images. Pinterest is one of the largest and fastest-growing social media sites. Vertical images shine. Horizontal images get lost. Moreover, people are using their phones and tablets (vertically oriented) more and more. Having a mix of both horizontal and vertical is a nice option, too, though in my opinion, a majority of vertical images is probably best.
Editing in Photoshop:
5. WordPress plugins/features I like:
Search box: This is trickier than you might think. Some themes come with built-in search functions that are great. Some themes come with the default WordPress search function that is not so great, especially in the way in which it displays results. My advice: find an example of a search function you like; then hire a designer to do the same for your site.
Swift Type Search
Akismet
Yoast SEO
WP Tasty Recipes
WP Tasty Pins
6. Social Media. As I mentioned above, blogging and social media are nearly inseparable. Create a Facebook page and set up accounts with Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram. Even if you don’t use these various social channels that often, you never know which channels your readers may prefer for gathering and sharing information.
7. Make friends. Reach out to bloggers you admire. Find bloggers whose cooking styles align with yours. Maybe you have taken an interest in vegan or gluten-free cooking. Maybe you like baking or gadgets. Maybe you’re interested in food policy or reviewing cookbooks or starting a podcast. For every interest, there is a community out there. Learn from bloggers who spread the “link love” and keep the content fun.
You’ve got this! Let’s review:
1. Pick a name.
2. Pick a CMS such as WordPress.
3. Design your site.
4. Create profiles on social channels.
5. Start cooking, photographing, writing, posting.
Let me know how it goes. Questions? Thoughts? What have I forgotten? Good luck!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
36 Comments on “How to Start a Food Blog with WordPress”
Ummm…..How do you protect yourself from spam and hackers? Where do the ads come from? Why does this all scare me???
Eesh. Oy, Alexandra, for years I’ve thought…and thought…and thought….and scared myself out of starting a blog. Maybe it’s time to make the leap and take a chance. This post is extremely helpful. Thank you so much! You are a rock star!
Dana, you absolutely should start a food blog! I think I should add a paragraph here about the internet needing fresh voices. You are such a good writer, and you have such a passion for cooking — I think you should seriously consider it. It’s a great way to document your cooking experiments as well as your life — I would love to see some snaps of Miles.
Regarding your questions: Akismet is the WordPress plugin that protects your site. I still have spam issues sometimes, but for the most part Akismet will protect you.
There are so many ad networks to choose from. A good place to start is Google adsense, but other networks like Gourmet Ads, Today’s Mama, Pulse, 33Across, Sovrn all offer ad placement. You can also do affiliate ads with Amazon and other sites. Let me know if there is anything else!
What Dana said!!!!!!
And I have even more questions…. Oh Alexandra. I’m such a pain in the rear!
You are not a pain in the rear!!
Janet,
Let me know if you have any questions. When I started my blog, I didn’t care about a thing — I was writing it just to document what I was discovering in Philadelphia (where we were living at the time), but then it turned into this journal of our move across country and back. I blogged for years without doing any of the social media or caring at all about anything really. And then I discovered I really liked it, and that’s when I started devoting more energy to the organization/content of the site. If you have any desire to blog, go for it! There is nothing to lose.
Hi Alexadra,
Thank you so much for sharing, I kid you not just last night I was looking for good back drops for my “food” pics. And I have done research in the past about starting a food blog, but your post is the best I have read.
Not only have you inspired what I cook, but even my garden has been inspired by you. Years ago I wanted to do a cinder block garden, your post had me convinced I could do it (with the help of a strong husband of course) and we did.
I have been a faithful foodie follower since.
Your blog is so beautiful and inspiring!
Heidi, Thank you! I had no idea you made the cinder block garden! That was a fun project for us. You are too kind to say such things. Makes me so happy.
it was back in 2010
now that my tree in the back yard has grown enormously I dont get as much sun as I need, but, girl, you were in an inspiration and it was a great year for produce, I felt like a little “g” God growing my own food..free from the man~!
lol
I’m growing
My FFA Girl
Amazing photos!! Thanks for sharing. Love seeing it. Makes me want to revisit that soil composition for my raised bed this year.
I’ve been reading your blog for quite some time and love it! I just started my own food blog so this is very helpful advice, especially for those days WordPress and the assorted plugins make me want to tear my hair out. 🙂 thank you for being a great inspiration!
Thank you, Ali, I’m so happy about this. This is very true — the plugins can be super frustrating and not always so intuitive. For a long time I tried so hard to figure things out exclusively on my own, and I’ve realized now somethings are best out sourced. Anyway, let me know if you have any other questions. All the best on your blogging journey! Very exciting 🙂
Ali! I know it has been an extremely long time since I popped in to comment but I just wanted to tell you that this is an outstanding article! Probably one of the first ones of this nature that I’ve read that didn’t send me into a fugue state! I’m not at all surprised that you were able to approach this subject like a gentle mother! You know that I have tried to model my blog after yours for a good long time (tried, failed, etc) and so I love these behind-the-scenes views of your blogging world. ALSO, I am in love with the rolling pallet table shooting surface! I want that SO much that I think I’m going to try to make one (or cajole the husband into making it for me)! What a great idea. Much love to you and the family! Seriously, you’ve given me a little jolt this morning out of my blogging complacency.
Tracey it is so great to hear from you! I have been thinking of your a lot recently because I have savory baked steel cut oats on the brain, and I’ve been meaning to review your post on it. Can’t wait!
Thank you for your kind words. Means so much. The pallet was a fun project. My neighbor across the street had been collecting pallets for a project but never got around to using it, so I grabbed one (actually two others, too, but I haven’t put them to use). I sanded it down using Ben’s electric sander. And I painted it with a water-proof sealer of some sort. I did cajole Ben into helping me finish it. The wood was old and uneven, so he screwed in some thins pieces of wood to make it level. What a guy! I saw the idea in my Design Sponge book, and actually, initially, we used it as a little bed for Wren. This is the post on Design Sponge.
So happy this post gave you a jolt. Sending my love to you!
Thanks so much for the link, Ali! And thank you for thinking of me! We have a few pallets that we collected with the intent of building some outdoor furniture and never got to it! I think I’ve convinced my husband to help me make it. I’m so happy to hear from you and much love to you, too!
Oh, fun! I hope you do make it, and I hope you blog about it! xoxo
wow, much work u invest in your blog & this post!
very interessing!
xox netzchen
Thank you, netzchen!
What a great collection of resources! Thank you so much!
I also had to laugh out loud when I got to your remark about Snapchat. Please let me know when you find out, I’m in need of a good explanation too! 😀
I absolutely will 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you for such a helpful post. I am in the UK and have been playing with blogging for a while, but have decided to get more serious about it. The hardest thing for me is getting followers – and I am constantly looking at ways to increase readership. I love Facebook, but am not great with other media I must say. I think I need to just jump in….
Yeah, just do it! I have to admit I find social media totally exhausting, but it’s just something you have to do. I often look at bloggers who do social media well — who are always positive/funny, etc. That always inspires me to get going. Building a readership takes time, but don’t worry too much about that to start. Just start creating great content and getting it out there, and then once you have a following, you can always link back to it later. Good luck! Let me know if there is anything else 🙂
Hi Alexandra
I just want to thank you for this information and your willingness to be transparent and open about your experience and advice. I have never seen anyone do this and I subscribe to a LOT of blogs – especially food blogs!
It takes a supremely confident and giving artist to share and encourage others this way. I always appreciate your willingness to respond and encourage me in every communication we have had, and I am certain this is the reason your following and success continues to grow.
Thank you for your kind spirit, amazing smarts, and most of all delicious recipes!!
A gushing fan!
Christy
Christy, you are too much! Thank you for your kind words — it means so much to read this. It’s readers like you and comments of encouragement like yours that keep me going — truly, thank you thank you. I hope this post is helpful for people. I have made so many mistakes over the years, and as I said in the beginning of the post, I initially starting writing the post as a way to answer questions, but in the end, it has helped me tremendously, too. Anyway, thanks so much again for writing in. Happy New Year, Christy!
Awesome breakdown and information – thanks so much Alexandra!
Rxx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
Thank you, Rebecca!
Thank you so much, very helpful content. I am just starting a food blog and needed some tips and advice. Thanks again for sharing your experience 🙂
Sure thing Yasmin! And good luck to you!
Ali,
You have no idea how helpful I found this! You (and Darcy Levy) are inspiring my blog quest which I’m having an absolute blast starting.
Love all the recipes and keep the kid photos coming. They are too cute.
Katie B
Katie B!! I’m so happy to hear this! Let me know if you have any other questions. I feel I have so many things to add to this post. Hope you are well!! xoxo
There is lots of great advice here. I think being a blogger is a very hard job. You start out wanting to just create content and share it but you end up being a social media manager, website designer, photographer, and many other duties that may be outside your realm. It is fun, though. I am still new to the blogging community myself and I find it hard to find other bloggers to connect with. There are so many people that want to just use others to get to their material out that is has discouraged others from helping smaller blogs out. I have experienced both sides of the fence on this. On my youtube channel, I constantly have other subscribers leaving comments saying I will sub for a sub. This adds no value to me or the other subscriber. Only subscribers that actually watch my content adds value. So with that being said if you are someone that will read my content and comment/share that adds value.
From my experience so farI does not like Bluehost. Although that is who I am currently with. I feel the vast majority of people recommend them because they have one of the highest payouts of affiliate marketing. Also, I have used them on two different sites. One was an e-commerce and one is my current site. Both have been slow with them and every designer or developer I talk to says not to use the cheap shared accounts because that is what is causing it to be slow. I think they are great for a beginning blogger to start out with. Customer service used to be really awesome but the last few times I have had issues they were not very helpful. I have read too that their service has been declining. They are owned by Endurance International which owns a lot of other heavily marketed hosting services such as Host Gator.
Anyways you have a beautiful site and I hope one day I can have mine looking more professional like yours. Keep up the good work and sorry for the long post, lol.
Later
Thanks for this post, Alexandra! I’ve been looking for a guide for starting a WordPress/ Bluehost-hosted blog from a blogger I actually follow and came across this post today. Love your recipes, thanks for the inspiration!
You are so welcome, Molly. Please reach out with any more questions! Happy to help 🙂
You are so welcome, Molly! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!
So, I’m interested in starting something – not quite a cooking blog, because, well, various reasons, but I hesitate for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is privacy and another, related, reason is trolls. I don’t know how much you have to deal with, but it worries me. I know you shouldn’t put out there anything you aren’t comfortable with, but things are so scary right now that it definitely gives me more than a little pause. Are there privacy things you can do/should do? How do you deal with people who clearly have a bone to pick? Do people feel like they can intrude on you in a personal way simply because you write publicly?
I ABSOLUTELY love this blog. East to navigate, Tips on blogging are a true help. Look forward to starting my blog. Have to work on About Me page!
Thanks for sharing.