Essential Tools for You:
I thought it would be a good idea and useful to create a “Resources” page that other bloggers or future bloggers could come to, to see the products and services I used to create my blog. All these tools I recommend here are all that I use in my own website and can speak to you about them from full experience. I would recommend bookmarking this page as it will become quite helpful on your journey of blogging. Also note that I will be continually adding to my list as I come across other products and services that are worth talking about. Thank you.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links (at no extra charge to you). However, rest assured that I am ONLY recommending products that I use regularly myself to run and grow my blog.
Domain Registration and Hosting
www.GoDaddy.com -life online starts with domain registration. Which will be your website name of chose. Go Daddy has over 12 million customers worldwide and a great support team that will help you from picking a domain name to creating an online store. I always purchase my domain names from them. They are great.
After purchasing and registering your domain name, you must find a great hosting company for your website.
When I first started blogging, I used Hostgator and as a new blogger it was “good” so I thought! Although, it was cheap and worked for me at the time, again I thought, I later on came to learn as I grew my blog that I could have had a better quality host for the same monthly payment! Not knowing this initially, cost me precious time and more importantly traffic to my site!
Nowadays with a lot of help from well known web developers and tech expects and on their best recommendations I use certain tools and know what host to work with. I use Cloudways, for my hosting. If you don’t know who to start with, I highly recommend them.
Follow link below to start with Cloudways.
Get Started Free with Managed WordPress Hosting – Signup Now
Tools to Help You Learn How to Create a Food Blog
Food Blogger Pro is by far the best website to learn how to start, grow and monetize a website. They offer over 300 tutorial videos walking you through all you will need to know to start your blog. I have been with them for quite sometime and absolutely love them. Here is a recent post I wrote about them. Please read, you will find tremendous value with all they have to offer. They are perfect for the absolute beginner to the intermediate blogger that’s looking to advance their skills. You can become a member for just $29 a month or pay $279 a year. Here is a 10% coupon to join Food Blogger Pro Membership Coupon
Now Food Blogger Pro only opens up their doors for membership a few times a year, if you miss it join their waiting list and when they open up their doors again, you will be contacted…………Join the Food Blogger Pro Waiting List!
Keyword Research
Google Keyword Planner-is a useful tool that gives you some information of any keyword online. For example, total monthly searches, the Cost Per Click and how competitive that keyword is. And it’s a free tool!
Market Samurai-Market Samurai is by far the best tool for doing keyword research and competition analysis. It gathers all data needed for you to succeed on your blog or website. This tool is MUCH faster than doing it manually using the Google Keyword Planner and offers so much more. Although this tool is not free, it is invaluable and I would never go without it!
If you would like to try it for free before deciding to purchase it, download a free trial version.
MUST BACKUP YOUR SITE!
When you embark on building your site, you will quickly realize how important it is to ensure that if anything happened to your site, you would be able to recover it with a blink of an eye. This is imperative!!!
Back-Up
When I first started my site I used Vaultpress to do my back ups. It was a good service that saved me several times I must say but today I use Nerdpress and would never turn back now that I’m with them! The owner, Andrew Wilder is an invaluable source of information and help, besides the fact of just being a great guy! Andrew always has a way of making you feel important and like you’re his only client, answers your emails quickly (QUICKLY) and takes care of anything wrong on your site! He is AMAZING!!
Initially when you first start you may not be able to afford certain tools and services for your site but as soon as you can, go for the best and Andrew Wilder’s service is the best!
Andrew does not offer an affiliate program were his clients make a commission if they refer his services, this is my true opinion of him and his services.