The Beginner’s Guide to Starting a WordPress Food Blog in 2023

Have you always wanted to start a food blog? You may be a great chef with an extensive library of recipes, but that doesn’t mean you have the technical expertise to launch a successful WordPress blog for your creations.

Fortunately, WordPress is a highly-accessible tool, and with a bit of guidance, anyone can use it to start a WordPress food blog. In this post, we’ll show you how to launch your grub-focused blog in five steps. Let’s get started!

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Why You May Want to Start a WordPress Food Blog

There are plenty of reasons to start food blogging. It is one of the most lucrative blogging niche, and it’s highly accessible because everybody eats and anyone can learn to cook.

What’s more, monetizing food blogs is very straightforward. This type of blog can bring in revenue via advertising, affiliate marketing, and more.

In fact, affiliate marketing is ideal for culinary-focused blogs because they can partner with food brands and feature affiliate products in their recipe posts. Additionally, many food bloggers go on to write profitable recipe books, which they then promote on their blogs.

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How to Start a WordPress Food Blog (In 5 Steps)

Now that you know why it’s a smart idea to break into WordPress food blogging, let’s cover how you can get started in five steps:

1. Get a domain name and web hosting
2. Install WordPress
3. Choose a theme
4. Install essential plugins
5. Start blogging
6. Monetize your blog

Read below to find details about each step.

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1. Get a Domain Name and Web Hosting

First and foremost, you’ll need to purchase a domain name. You’d be wise to choose it carefully because you’ll likely need to commit to it for at least a year. If you need some help with brainstorming domain name ideas, you can use a domain name generator.

Ideally, it should reflect the actual name of your blog or brand. You can buy a domain name from a domain registrar, such as NameCheap:

If you’re planning to use self-hosted WordPress, you’ll also need a web host. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, lots of web hosts offer a bundled option of hosting and domain.

We recommend SiteGround if you’re looking for dependable budget-friendly web hosting. Even if shared hosting is cheaper, our recommendation is to go with managed hosting, as it will ensure your website has no downtime and loads fast.

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2. Install WordPress

Once you’re all set up with web hosting, you’re ready to install WordPress. This Content Management System (CMS) is free and open-source. It’s also very beginner-friendly.

What’s more, many web hosts offer one-click WordPress installation. However, this process will vary depending on your hosting provider.

In most cases, you’ll need to access your cPanel account or a similar tool to complete installation. This will be included with your web hosting plan.

Some web hosts use different server management tools, but installation is typically straightforward. If you’re not sure how to complete this process, you might want to check out a complete tutorial on how to install WordPress.

Whatever your web host and level of experience might be, installing WordPress typically takes less than five minutes. Once you’re finished, you’ll have access to your WordPress dashboard and your very own website.

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3. Choose a Theme

WordPress themes are what determine the appearance of your website. Every site needs one, so you’ll have to install and activate one right away.

This key element of your web design determines site characteristics such as fonts, colors, layout, and more. You can always customize these details, but your WordPress theme provides the foundation.

There are some rather general, free WordPress themes. However, if you want to get started fast, it might be a good idea to purchase a premium theme that’s more aligned with your needs. That way, you don’t have to waste time learning about web design, and you can start creating useful, food-related content fast.

At WPZOOM, we offer a variety of WordPress food themes, and our most recent release is the CookBook theme:

However, if you are a beginner and need a simple and lightweight theme, then your best option is the Foodica theme:

With the right food-specific theme, you can complete this step in a flash.

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4. Install Essential Plugins for Food Bloggers

WordPress plugins are add-ons that enhance your website’s functionality. Installing plugins is easy; you can do it directly in your WordPress dashboard.

There are plenty of recommended plugins specifically for food blogs. One of the basic plugins for food blogs is the recipe card plugin. This is why we recommend making some research when choosing your recipe card plugin. This will ensure that you make a good and reliable choice in the long term.

Make sure to check Recipe Card Blocks as it includes all the necessary features for starting and developing your food blog.

This and other essential plugins can help you simplify your content creation process and boost productivity. While it’s a good idea to research and select key plugins when first setting up your site, you can easily add more in the future.

However, keep in mind that you’ll want to use only the plugins that are essential for your needs. That’s because too many plugins can slow down your site.

Here are a few essential plugins for food bloggers:

• Recipe Plugin: Recipe Card Blocks PRO
• SEO Plugin: Yoast SEO
• Cache & Optimization Plugin: WP Rocket
• Instagram Plugin: Instagram Widget by WPZOOM
• Image Optimization Plugin: Imagify
• Ads Manager Plugin: Advanced Ads
• Social Icons Plugin: Social Icons Widget by WPZOOM
• Contact Form Plugin: WPForms
• Newsletter Plugin: MailPoet
• Duplicate Post
• Social Sharing Plugin

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5. Start Blogging

Now that the foundations of your website are in place, you’re ready to start a food blog! You may want to create a few basic web pages such as “About” or “Home” first. However, these aren’t entirely necessary for a blog.

Alternatively, you can jump right into creating your first post:

Whether you’re sharing recipe ingredients or a restaurant review, you’ll want to prioritize quality over quantity. Try to include lots of professional-looking images, and be thorough in your instructions and descriptions. This will help build your audience’s trust and establish your credibility.

It’s also a good idea to announce your new posts on social media. This can help grow your audience faster.

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Conclusion

When your core skills are in the kitchen and not on the back end of a website, launching a food blog can seem overwhelming. However, with the right tools and a bit of guidance, anyone can do it.

To recap, here’s how you can start a food blog in five steps:

1. Get a domain name and web hosting with a reputable provider, such as SiteGround.
2. Install WordPress in under five minutes.
3. Choose a theme designed specifically for food blogs.
4. Install any essential plugins, such as Recipe Card Blocks.
5. Start blogging by creating your first post.
6. Start monetizing your food blog

Do you have any questions about how to start a food blog? Let us know in the comments section below!