I thought it would be helpful to create a resource page that food bloggers can use to see the products and services that I use with my blog. The list will be continually updated as I find different resources that are worth mentioning.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I use all of the products listed below and recommend them because they are companies that I have found helpful and trustworthy. Please let me know if you have any questions about anything listed below!
Getting Started with Your Blog
Hostgator – This blog is hosted on Hostgator. Check out the How to Start a Blog page if you want a step-by-step run down of how to start your own blog using Hostgator.
Bluehost – Bluehost was our hosting company I’ve been using for years. They offer a slick and easy way to get up and running with your blog on WordPress. Bluehost has free domain name registration, is amazingly affordable, and is the perfect place to start. The whole hosting-domain-Wordpress-website-language-stuff can be kind of confusing at first.
Elegant Themes for WordPress – GreenReset.com runs on an Elegant theme. They say on their site that design is their art and their passion – and it shows! They create WordPress Themes with a pixel-perfect eye for detail and a high standard for aesthetic excellence. With their themes it’s easy you make your website simple, beautiful and professional. They are also easy to use, come with excellent support that will answer all your questions quickly, plus, they are really affordable – $39 for all their themes and plugins – it’s hard to beat that!
Studio Press’ Genesis is a very popular framework that is used by some of the web’s most popular bloggers. With Genesis, you’re going to want to purchase the Framework ($59.95) along with >a child theme (prices vary). It’s also possible to get a Genesis child theme custom designed by hiring a designer.
Free Themes for WordPress – WordPress has thousands of free themes available if you’re not interested in purchasing a “premium” theme right away. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking to start your blog on tight budget. It’s easy to change a theme later on. Check the theme’s rating before you download it and install it onto your blog. I would recommend looking for themes with a four or five star rating.
WP Twin Backup You can do your backup yourself by installing one of the backup plugins, but backing up WordPress sites can be tricky. You have to make sure that BOTH the database and files are properly backed up. I use WPTwin software (which is awesome, and super easy to use), which creates an exact “clone” of your site.
Vaultpress – Vaultpress is the company we use to backup the Green Reset website. Vaultpress ensures that if that something like that did happen we’d be able to recovery everything from a backup.
aWeber – AWeber is the email marketing software I use to distribute our GreenReset newsletter. The “follow up” functionality, which me to create a queue of emails that are delivered to subscribers at certain intervals. As a blogger it’s important to connect with your readers through all different avenues, including email, and AWeber does a great job of making that really easy.
LastPass allows you to stay sane as well as safe while surfing the web – no more passwords to remember …all you have to do is log into LastPass and click the website you wish to check out. The tool then automatically logs you on securely to the selected site. It will even complete all the forms needed to buy goods online if you have stored your home address, telephone number and credit-card details in the vault as well.
Food Photography Tools
Canon EOS 5D Mark III I recently upgraded to the Canon 5D and I’m super happy with it. Not only does it shoot incredible pictures, but it also shoots really incredible HD video. It’s an expensive camera, so if you’re just getting started look first at purchasing something like the Canon EOS Rebel
Tasty Food Photography – Photography is an incredible tool that can have a profound impact on the life of your blog or website. The tips and tricks you’ll learn from this book are practical, easy to read, and will ultimately help you take food photos that make people say, “I am dying to eat that right now!” To date, over 1,409 people have purchased Tasty Food Photography and used it to help improve their food photography. You can learn more about the book and read some testimonials on this page.
Adding sizzle to your graphics. PicMonkey and iPiccy are two of my favorite websites for creating amazing graphics.
WordPress Plugins
Zip List Recipe – This is the WordPress Plugin I use to enter in my recipes. Easy Recipe is another one that you may want to try. The name says it all, it’s an easy plugin to showcase your recipes!
Akismet – Spam comments stink! Akismet is a like a comment guard, making sure that no spamming comments get through to your site.
Good Luck,
Joanna
PS. Send me a quick message on Facebook or on my contact page to let me know when you get your blog up and running. I’d love to stop by and check out your new blog!
PPS. I am passionate about helping people to get their blogs started. If you have never started a blog before, the technical aspects of the setup process can be difficult. Don’t let this stop you! While it’s really easy for me now to get a blog set up, I still remember that it was pretty difficult the first time. If you are stuck, perhaps I can help. Contact me via email or use the contact page to get in touch.