Tips for starting a cooking blog
Before explaining in detail how to start a cooking blog, I want to give you some advice on the steps to take into account for an optimal blog.
First, choose a name that is catchy and easy to remember, but that is consistent with the topic of the blog (for example, if you want to make a blog about cooking only about desserts, you could call your blog The slice of cheesecake).
As for the articles to be published, since it is a cooking blog, I imagine that there will be mainly recipes. In this regard, if you don't know what topics to talk about, you can take inspiration from the dishes you prepare every day, from the paper recipe books you use or from the other cooking sites you frequent (always remember to mention the source of origin from which you are inspired. addition, you can also refer to Google Trends, a Google service dedicated to trend analysis, which I told you about in detail in my dedicated guide.
Furthermore, during the creation phase of the blog, you can use a specific theme that is well suited to your project: the major Web portals for the creation of Internet sites, which I will talk about in the following paragraphs, offer various free and paid templates suitable for cooking blog. Alternatively, you can also purchase a theme on the Envato Market online store.
Finally, do not forget that, since it is a cooking blog, it will be very important to publish articles consistently and take beautiful photos of the dishes prepared and the step-by-step procedures. In this regard, I recommend reading my guide on how to take beautiful photos. Optionally, you can also retouch photos with editing programs, applications or online tools.
WordPress.com
If your intent is to open a cooking blog, the first resource to consider is the free hosting space made available by the website WordPress.com. This service is one of the best known thanks to the integration with its CMS WordPress system (CMS is the acronym for content management system, in cittàn content management system) which constitutes the basic structure of the website and allows its customization even without any technical skills.
WordPress.com offers a free hosting space with storage space of 3 GB and also a third level domain (for example www.nomescelto.wordpress.com) but, eventually, it is possible to purchase a hosting space and a second level domain, in order to obtain a web address of the type www.nomescelto.com. In the case of using the free hosting space there are some restrictions, such as the inability to insert advertising banners.
To open a cooking blog with WordPress.com connected first to its official website, click on the button Sign up now and enter the requested data, indicating the name that you intend to give to the blog, thetopic you want to write about and theobiettivo you intend to achieve.
To continue, click Continue, type il domain name of the blog you want to create and then click on the wording Select, at the extension WordPress.com, to continue for free. If, on the other hand, you want to buy a second level domain, click on the extension you are interested in buying and press the button Select, in order to choose one of the paid plans whose costs start from € 4 / month with annual billing.
To continue for free, instead, click on the button Get started with free, then create an account by typing in a emai addressle of one Password. Infine, click the button Continue. You can also select the button to register Continue with Google, in order to register with your Google account.
Now, finish the registration process by confirming the email address indicated by clicking on the link that you will find in the email received. As a last step, click the button Continue present on the WordPress.com website, to be redirected to the login and management page of the created website.
In this section you can see a welcome tutorial that will show you step by step how to use the WordPress CMS. For example, refer to the section Customize, to apply cosmetic changes to the blog or to the one named article, to publish cooking articles.
Then if you want to deepen the subject, read my guide in which I explain how to customize a site with WordPress.com. I have also made several other guides related to the most common uses of this CMS; in case of doubts or problems you can refer to them.
Blogger
Another valid platform you can turn to to open a cooking blog is Blogger, a service offered by Google. To open a blog on Blogger it is therefore necessary to register through a Google account.
Blogger offers a free hosting space with a third level domain (for example www.nomescelto.blogspot.com) but it is possible to buy a paid hosting space with a second level domain to get a website with URL www.nomescelto.com, eg.
Among the advantages given by Blogger there is the possibility of hosting advertising banners within the Web space, thanks to the Google Adsense advertising platform.
If you want to bring your cooking blog to life via Blogger, connected to its official website, click on the wording Create your blog present on the home page and then log in with the account Google you have. Type theemail address or telephone number and Password and click NEXT I will continue.
Now, confirm the creation of your profile by clicking on the items Create a Google + profile or on Create a limited Blogger profile: in the first case you can create a profile through the Google social network, while in the second case you will create an account directly through the Blogger portal.
When registration is complete, click on the button Create a new Blog to start the creation of your web space: type the title you want to give to the blog and choose the URL address of the same to get a domain with extension.blogspot.com. Then choose the theme and finish the configuration by clicking onCreate the blog.
Now, you can evaluate the purchase of the domain of your choice through the service Google Domains: prices vary from € 12 per year. However, if you want to use Blogger for free, click on the button No thanks in such a way as to be redirected to the login and management page of the blog you just created.
Once you have finished creating the blog, start writing articles to publish by referring to the section Post. However, if you want to make other aesthetic customizations first, use the sections layout e Subject.
If you are unsure about how the Blogger or to deepen the related topic, I suggest you read this specific guide of mine.
Altervista.org
Another widely used platform for opening a cooking blog is the one offered by Altervista. It is a company that offers free hosting space with CMS WordPress and a third level domain (www.nomescelto.altervista.org) with unlimited storage and traffic. Eventually it is possible to convert the blog and purchase a second level domain (www.nomescelto.com): the cost is € 19 + VAT per year.
To register a cooking blog with Altervista connect to its official website and press the button Create site. On the next screen, fill in all the text fields regarding the indication of your personal data (name, surname, year of birth e sex e email address) or register by pressing the button Facebook, in order to do it through this social network.
Then, use the text field corresponding to the wording Http: // to type the name you want to give to the blog to be created and then check the box I'm not a robot for identity verification.
Continue by also placing a check mark on the boxes relating to acceptance of the conditions of use and the privacy policy and, finally, finish the registration by clicking on the link that you find in the email received at the email address provided.
Once registration is complete, you can start customizing the created blog by referring to the section Appearance where you can find themes suitable for a cooking blog. If, on the other hand, you want to write posts immediately, click on the item Articles. If you have any problems or concerns about using the Altervista refer to my guide on using the WordPress CMS.
Furthermore, Altervista is a partner company of some cooking web portals, such as GialloZafferano or Cookaround. This means that, by going to the respective websites, it is possible to open a cooking blog affiliated with one of these major portals.
Either way you will get a blog with a domain of the type http://blog.giallozafferano.com/nomescelto or http://blog.cookaround.com/nomescelto as it is a site hosted in the hosting space of these famous websites.
The process of registering a cooking blog with GialloZafferano o Cookaround is the same that can be performed directly from the official website of Altervista. In case of problems, please refer to the previous lines.
Other services to start a cooking blog
The platforms I mentioned in the previous lines concern only some of the most famous companies that offer free hosting space with third level domain and with additional paid options.
To open a cooking blog, however, it is also possible to contact other free or paid hosting companies, such as Aruba, Netsons or GoDaddy (services that usually have a CMS like WordPress preconfigured) which I told you about in detail in my guide. on how to choose a hosting for your website.
As an alternative to free and paid hosting services, there are also other sitebuilding platforms equally suitable for opening a cooking blog. I'll list some of them in the following lines.
- Wix - is one of the most popular free platforms for building websites and blogging that features a built-in sitebuilding tool. After registering for a free account, you can set up your own cooking site or blog in just a few clicks, obtaining a third-level domain, such as www.selectedname.wixsite.com. There are also paid plans for the purchase of a second level domain, with prices starting from € 4,08 / month.
- Weebly - is another useful service for creating blogs and websites that you can use for free. It is not necessary to have technical skills for its use as it allows you to create a site in no time. The blog created at no cost will have a third level domain .weebly.com with 500MB space. The optional subscription packages that allow you to upgrade and purchase a second level domain start at € 4 / month with annual billing.
- Jimbo - this is another platform similar to those previously listed useful for creating a cooking blog for free (with .jimbofree.com) and put it online in record time. It also integrates a fully automated tool (Creator) which allows you to create a website simply by answering a few questions. There is also a tool for opening a blog manually (Dolphin) which is also easy to use. Prices for second level domains start at € 6,50 / month with annual billing.
