Starting a blog was the best decision I’ve made when becoming a Full-time Food Blogger! Not only does it provide a platform where I can share my recipes, but it also provides me with 40% of my monthly income.
My blog has been the most stable income by far and has helped me make FIVE FIGURES a month for the past four months!
When it comes to a successful blog, the most important tip I have is to STAY CONSISTENT!
I recommend posting at least ONCE a week and make sure that each post is HIGH QUALITY. As mentioned in my previous blog post – How I Make Money as a Full-Time Food Blogger, I treat my blog like a full-time job.
I dedicate at least 3-4 hours to each blog post, and I am continually taking courses, upgrading my equipment to invest in my blog. (Check out my favorite blogging courses and must have Plugins HERE)
When I first started doing my research on starting a blog, I noticed the number one thing every blogger recommended was having a SELF-HOSTED BLOG.
Don’t worry, I will show step by step how to start a self-hosted blog below (it takes less than 1 hour), but I want to quickly explain some of the benefits of having a self-hosted blog.
- FULL CONTROL: You get full control of your blog; this means you are the one deciding where to host your blog and how to customize your blog. Yes, there is some learning curve, but it is so much more worth it to start your blog the right way versus switching down the road. (trust me, it a headache is the switch from hosted sites such as Wix)
- MONETIZATION: Many Ad management companies such as AdThrive, Mediavine, and AdSense require special plugins on your website. Alot of hosted websites can’t add any plugins to your site. If you are using a self-hosted blog, you won’t run into any issue when applying for Ad Management Companies.
- CUSTOM DOMAIN NAME: It is much more professional to have a blog with a name of your choice instead of having wix.com or wordpress.com at the end.
- SEO RANKING: I am not 100% sure, but most blogs find self-hosted website ranks better than hosted websites from my research. SEO Ranking is crucial as it affects the traffic to your blog.
HOW TO START A BLOG IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR
- Download WordPress
More than 40% of blogs on the web uses WordPress. It has limitless possibilities and over 55,000 plugins to customize your blog to your needs! I am currently using WordPress.org for my self-hosted website.
There are two options when it comes to WordPress – wordpress.com, and wordpress.org.
To have a SELF-HOSTED site, you must be using wordpress.org.
Download WordPress.org on your computer HERE. It is FREE, and this way, you can access your website anywhere, anytime!
- CHOOSE A HOST
There are MANY hosting options. I am currently using SITEGROUND as my host since they provide excellent customer service and handle my blog’s volume (700,000 + users/month).
However, when I first started, I used BLUEHOST. Bluehost is the most affordable option for new bloggers; it is only $3.95 a month. When you first sign up, you can get
- FREE Domain Name for the 1st year (IMPORTANT)
- FREE SSL Certificate
- They install WordPress for just 1-Click
I recommend using BlueHost for the 1st year, and once your blog starts growing to switch
over to other hosts since the first 6-12 months of your blog, you will most likely be slowly building up the traffic to your blog. My blog was mostly private for the first 2-3 months!
I went with the CHOICE PLUS option, and it was able to handle my traffic until I hit around 450,000 users a month which is when I made the switch to Siteground. The switch took less than 1 hour, and you don’t have to do anything at all, and they handle everything for you.
Siteground also has a beginner option, but it is much more expensive and doesn’t come to a free domain, so I highly recommend using Bluehost when you first start and switch afterward!
Here is SITEGROUND’S Pricing:
- Set up BLUEHOST
Go to Bluehost.com and set up your option. If you are doing this part-time, you can start with just the simple plan, but if you plan on doing this full time, I recommend using the CHOICE PLUS option for your first year!
- PICK A DOMAIN NAME
Once you choose your plan, Bluehost provides a FREE domain name. Make sure that your domain ends with.COM and you are choosing a domain name that is easy to remember!
If you are not ready to settle with a name yet, Bluehost also gives you credit to your account AFTER you checkout so you can think it through.
- PAYMENT
Unfortunately, you cannot just pay monthly with Bluehost, and you have to choose between 12,24, or 36 months upfront. I recommend picking the 12 or 24-month option. I did the math with other hosting sites, and since it comes with so many free options and the monthly cost is so low, BlueHost is the most affordable option.
- DESIGN YOUR WEBSITE
Ok, so not going to lie; WORDPRESS IS HARD. Compare to Wix and GoDaddy, it has a HUGE learning curve, and it is not as user-friendly.
I started my blog too late, so I was in a RUSH. I wanted my blog to look professional, and I didn’t have time to design it slowly, so I got my blog template off 17th Avenue Designs.
They have professional and cute designs, and it was straightforward to install them myself. You can also pay for them to install it for you as well! I am currently using the MIA Professional Theme myself.
There are also alot of Etsy shops where that sell templates, and WordPress also comes with alot of FREE options. Buying a template is a MUCH more affordable and quick option compare to hiring a website designer.
I currently have a part-time contractor that supports me on my blog whenever I have IT issues, technical questions, or need large changes to my blog. I pay around $65/hour for this service.
And THAT’S IT! 6 simple steps to start a blog in less than 1 hour 🙂
Want to do Food Blogging Full-Time? Here are some helpful blog posts:
- How I Make Money as a Full-Time Food Blogger (5 Figures a month!)
- My Journey from a Corporate 9-5 to a Full-Time Food blogger
- My top courses, equipment, and app for food bloggers
- Youtube Video answering ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS!
HOW I TRANSITIONED FROM A CORPORATE 500 9 – 5 TO FULL-TIME FOOD BLOGGER
One of my most asked questions is always, “how did I become a full-time food-blogger?” Believe it or not, I don’t have any background working with food. I never worked in a restaurant and never had any culinary training.
Do I regret working for corporate? What did I learn from my corporate job? Here is my 11-year journey before launching TIFFYCOOKS
HOW MUCH MONEY DO I MAKE AS A FOOD BLOGGER (WITH BREAKDOWNS)? HOW DID I DECIDE WHAT PLATFORMS TO BE ON?
One of my most asked questions is always, “How do I MAKE MONEY as a FULL-TIME Food Blogger?” The truth is that there are many different revenues, every month varies, and every blog is different.
I explain why I choose to blog and how I DIVERSITY my income as a full-time food blogger.
TOP BLOGGING RECOMMENDATIONS (COURSES, APPS, EQUIPMENT)
Here are some courses, equipment, and apps that I purchased and subscribe to that help me make FIVE FIGURES a month as a full-time food blogger.
Love,
Tiffy
