Lee Ann Cook
Starting a food blog is not as tasking as it may seem. I know it can look all herculean initially, I did have the same feeling too, only to discover it is more difficult to cook a delicious meal –which you do with ease- than to start up a food blog. Since then, I made it an obligation to demystify blogging and that’s what I am about doing again. Now, that you have made a decision to start a food blog, worry not, I will take you through steps to open your own blog in 30 minutes or less. I kid you not; you can set your timer before starting.
There are four major steps in setting up a blog, if followed closely, you will have a functional blog in 30mins or less, as promised.
Choose a Blogging Platform
The first step in setting up a blog is choosing a good platform –this is the software you will use to create and publish your contents. There are multiple blogging platforms available, the example includes WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium, Linkedln blogging among many others.
Remember we are getting this done ASAP; so, I will make recommendations for you. The truth is each platform has its uniqueness, but you get the best service from WordPress –heard of WordPress before, right?
WordPress is by far the most popular blogging platform in the world, with over 76 million WordPress.com blogs. It is the most user and search engine friendly platform, requiring little to zero knowledge of web design to create. It is very easy to set up, free to use, supports loads of extensions and plugins. Also, search engines find its set up easy to index and present to users, in response to queries.
You will be offered both WordPress.org and WordPress.com which are pretty the same with different solutions. WordPress.com is free, easier and more straightforward to set up which makes it a delight to beginners; all you need do is visit WordPress.com and follow the instructions. WordPress.org, however, comes with payment for web hosting, a bit more technicality but also offers you more flexibility and control over your blog, you follow the instructions on WordPress.org. I advise on WordPress.org though, it allows you to enjoy better monetization policy.
Enough on WordPress, If for any reason you aren’t comfortable with WordPress, you can try Blogger. Blogger is also a very popular blogging platform; it is hosted by Google and uses a blogspot.com domain name.
Choose a Web Host
Your next step is choosing a web host. Web hosting is what makes your blog accessible to online users; it is where all your blog data are stores. You can get either a free hosting –albeit, its multiple downsides, or a paid self-hosting service. A self-hosting service allows you more control and flexibility and can only be placed on paid platforms like WordPress.org. The popular hosting providers include InMotion Hosting, SiteGround, Just Host and BlueHost. You, however, pay a monthly or annual cost for web hosting which is usually a few dollars.
Don’t be scared! Hosting and Domain are usually just about 5-10 dollars monthly, depending on your service provider. In fact, Just Host, for example, charges less than 3 dollars per month for web hosting and you get a domain name for free. So I am sure, you will get a very good hosting service to work with at a pretty fair charge.
Domain Name
This is your blogging address; it is a part of the URL which you use to access your blog. It is recommended that you use a domain name that matches the blog name. A complete URL starts with www. follow by your domain name and then the domain extension which can be .com, .org, .net, .uk etc.
Know that the outlook of your URL is largely dependent on your choice of blog platform. If you are using a free platform, your URL will appear like onlinefoodblog.wordpress.com or onlinefoodblog.blogspot.com depending on your blogging platform –It looks ugly if you ask me. With a paid platform, your URL looks like onlinefoodblog.com, food.org (which is pretty just your domain name, short and beautiful). If you ever intend making money from blogging, then I advise you use a paid platform from the onset.
Choose a Template
Now you have created a blogging platform, chosen a web host and have your own domain name. Your blog is just one step away from ready, creating your blog template. Choosing a template is a way you customize your food blog, you will be demonstrating your full ownership by making your blog looks exactly the way you want. If you are using free hosting, you install the template yourself after installing the blogging platform. With a hosted blogging platform, you have access to a selection of platforms. By the way, blogging template is the same as ‘Themes’, and platform like WordPress have extensive selections of themes –it can be free or premium.
There you have it, go build your blog and do not forget to time yourself. I am pretty sure you will be done in less the time.
Ok, I will give you a summary. Creating your blog involves four (4) steps, just 4: Create a Blogging Platform, have a Domain name, register with a Blog Host and then choose your blogging templates. It is pretty easy, right? So, start right away.
