Let me guess.. you love to cook and you love sharing your recipes. So you think you’d like to try blogging? Well, I think that’s an excellent idea! Blogs are a great way to express yourself, connect with others who share your passions, and earn a part time income from home.
I first started my food blog 6 months 3 years ago because I wanted a place to share my recipe with my friends and family. Soon after, I began uploading my recipes and most of them went viral on pinterest. Within days I began getting thousands and thousands of views daily, I was in shock! At that time I didn’t have any ads on my blog nor did I know anything about blogging. I joined adsense and glam media a few weeks later, threw a few ads on the sidebar and to my shock, I was making money.
I have always heard of people making money online, but I never thought I would ever be able to make money online in a million years. I remember my first paycheck was $86 I was so super happy and excited that I actually made money online. Fast-forward 6 months 3 years later and here I am now, making over $5,000 $7,000 a month. I’m truly grateful for my food blog and just LOVE LOVE LOVE blogging.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. All of the companies listed below have been used by me personally. I am only recommended them because I know and trust them.
DON’T WAIT, START YOUR FOOD BLOG TODAY!
I’m going to show you how to start a food blog in 15 minutes and get a free domain . YES it’s that easy! In 15 minutes you can have a blog up and running! The following steps are exactly how I’ve built my own blog.
HOW TO START A FOOD BLOG IN 3 EASY STEPS
STEP 1: REGISTERING A DOMAIN AND HOSTING
A host provides server space for your site so others can find you on the internet. You can use a free host like blogger but I’ve learned the hard way that self hosting is best. Start by clicking here to go to Bluehost.
Now this is my favorite part! Finding a domain name. A domain name is going to be the name your blog will be known by. Think of something simple and easy to remember. Once you have thought of a name head over to bluehost and check it it’s available. If the domain name you have in mind is not available, that’s okay! brainstorm and think of a name until you find an available one. You would be surprised by how many domains are already taken; you’re going to have to think outside the box.
Enter a domain name on the left side under New Domain then click next.
On the next page, Fill in your account information and then scroll down to select your package.
As you can see, the prices range from $4.95 to $6.95 per month. It all depends on the length of your commitment. Bluehost is now offering a special for my readers for $3.95 a month plus a FREE domain! Get it while you can. But be sure to use one of the links in this post to get this special offer.
Now enter your billing information. confirm that you’ve read the fine print and then click Next.
On the next page you’ll be asked if you want to add any upgrades. I just skip them all and continue on to complete your purchase. Be sure to create a strong password. After completing your purchase, check your email. You’ll find a welcome email from Bluehost with your control panel (cpanel) login info, be sure to keep this information for future reference.
STEP 2: INSTALLING WORDPRESS
Now you have your domain name and hosting plan, you need to install wordpress. WordPress is the most popular blogging platform in the world because it’s very compatible and is VERY easy to use. Almost all the food blogs out there use wordpress (Gimme Delicious included).
Go back to Bluehost and click the Login button in the top right corner of your screen. You can also login in via the email that you received from bluehost. Enter your login information from the welcome email you received.
Once you’re in click on the wordpress icon under Website Builders.
After clicking on the button you ill be promoted to a new page. Click the start button to begin the install.
On the next page you will see a drop down menu. Leave your domain name on it as it is and click check domain. No check the box next to advanced options and enter your site name ( Ex: GimmeDelicious ). Next choose a username and password. Enter your email address ( try to use the same email address for everything because this is where all the information will be sent.) Read and agree to the terms. Click the Install Now button.
That’s it! no you have installed your on blog. Be sure to save the username and password which will be sent by email. Also bookmark the Login url for easy access. Now you can log in via your bluehost backpanel. 
STEP 3: BLOG DESIGN — MAKING IT PRETTY!
Now you have your blog. You’ve register the domain and purchased a hosting plan, installed wordpress! Congratulations, now you are an official blogging buddy! Before you begin uploading photos of your yummy recipes you must first make your blog pretty and attractive. Think of this step as the makeup.
You will need to install a theme. WordPress has a ton of free theme options to choose from you can check them out here or install a premium theme (which I highly suggest!). Here are the most popular themes available:
As of May 15 2016 I switched over to the clean food theme by Cre8d Design (see image above). This theme has just about everything I had in mind when redesigning my blog. I was close to spending over 5k to redesign the blog a few months ago but I put it off and thank god I did because when I saw the clean food theme I immediately fell in love! The clean food theme costs $150 and can be purchased here.
The clean food theme features a recipe index, featured images on the front page, email subscribe box, social media icons, custom styling for easy recipe plus, a pre-made shop page where you can add amazon affiliate items plus an easy options page in wordpress where you can add your ad codes.
I really can’t say enough about this theme. The entire layout and styles are just perfect. To run this theme all you need to do is purchase it and purchase a logo from etsy or make one.
The Genesis Framework – This is the current framework that GimmeDelicious is running on. I love it because it’s fast and most importantly, is compatible with the Foodie Theme. You can purchase both the Genesis Framework + the Foodie theme package for just $99.95 here. I highly suggest the Foodie Theme. Trust me, I’ve tried a ton of themes and after spending a ton of money on other themes I found the Foodie Theme. This is the theme that GimmeDelicious and many other food blogs such as ShareAppetite, Chelsea’sMessyApron, FoodFaithFitness, BarbaraBakes, JoCooks.
- The Thesis Theme –This was the first theme I used when I first started GimmeDelicious. It’s super easy to use and is quite pretty but a little more expensive.
That’s it! You are now a proud owner of your very own (food) blog!
Note: I will be posting more content in the upcoming blogging series on how to sign up for ad networks, drive traffic to your blog and make money.
