How to Start an Online Nutrition Business Website (Step by Step)

Over the past few years, we’ve talked with many business owners in the health and wellness field who want to get more paying clients. Our number one recommendation is always to set up a dedicated website for your fitness and nutrition business.

Without one, you might lose out on clients who are looking for nutrition advice online. While social media is great, it can’t replace a website that showcases your services and helps you connect with clients.

A professional nutrition business site gives you credibility and helps you stand out from the competition.

Plus, the good news is that starting a nutrition business site is simpler and more affordable than you might think.

In this step-by-step guide, we will show you how to start your online nutrition business website using WordPress.

Why Create a Website for Your Nutrition Business?

If you’re a dietitian or nutritionist, then having a WordPress website for your business is a smart move for lots of reasons.

It’s not just about having an online presence. Instead, it’s about making it easy for potential clients to find you, trust you, and reach out.

A website allows you to showcase your services, qualifications, and success stories in a professional way. You have full control over your personal brand and can highlight your expertise.

Without a website, you risk losing clients to competitors who are easier to find online.

Not only can a website boost your credibility, but it also lets you connect with people beyond your local area. You can reach a larger audience and even offer online coaching or sell nutrition plans.

Plus, you can update content easily, keeping your clients informed with helpful tips and advice.

How to Start an Online Nutrition Business Website

First, you will need to choose a website builder for your website. In our experience, WordPress is the best platform for the job.

WordPress is the perfect platform for nutrition businesses. It offers an easy-to-use interface, endless customization options, and the ability to scale as you grow, which is a great option even if you’re new to website building.

Plus, WordPress allows you to install tools made for nutrition websites. For example, you can use plugins to add meal plan templates, online course platforms for nutrition programs, and client consultation forms.

There are excellent recipe plugins, too, if you want to create content around healthy meals and their recipes.

Before we start, it’s important to note that there are 2 types of WordPress software, so you’ll want to make sure you pick the right one for your business.

WordPress.com is a hosted blogging platform. On the other hand, WordPress.org is self-hosted WordPress. It gives you full control, and it is what you will need to create your nutrition site.

For a detailed comparison, you can check out our guide on WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.

While building your site is a key step, you may face some challenges along the way. But don’t worry – we will walk you through each step.

Here are the steps we will cover in the following sections:

Ready? Let’s get started!

Step 1. Plan Your Nutrition Business Website

Before diving into the technical details, it’s important to plan your site. Generally speaking, you need to break down 3 key points: the target audience, the site goal, and user experience.

🧐 Identifying Your Target Audience

Think about who you’re trying to reach – whether it’s people looking for meal plans, nutrition coaching, healthy recipes, or all of the above.

Understanding your target audience is crucial because it shapes everything from your website’s design to the content you create.

To help with your brainstorming process, you can ask yourself these questions:

• What are your users’ main goals? Are they seeking health advice, managing a health condition, or improving their performance?
• Who are you targeting? Are they busy professionals, parents, athletes, or people with specific dietary needs?
• What challenges do they face? Are they looking for meal options, weight loss tips, or performance nutrition?
• What tone works best? Should your site be friendly and casual or more professional and expert-driven?

By answering these, you’ll start to form a clearer picture of your target audience – often called a ‘customer persona.’ This persona helps you understand their needs, goals, and preferences, which will guide your site and content strategy.

🎯 Defining the Main Goal of Your Nutrition Website

Next, you should consider your website’s main goal. Are you aiming to educate visitors about healthy living, run a nutrition-related online store, offer consultations, or provide all these services in one place?

However, do note that your website should reflect what you offer and cater to your audience’s needs.

Consider these options based on your goal:

• If you offer consultations, you can include booking forms or integrate a calendar so clients can easily schedule time with you.
• If your goal is to educate, then adding blog posts, guides, or even online courses to share valuable information with your audience is the way to go.
• If you’re selling products, you’ll need to make sure you have a clear, easy-to-navigate shop section where visitors can browse and buy.

A clear purpose will help your site stay focused, making it easier to serve your audience and achieve your business goals.

⭐ Thinking About User Experience

When visitors land on your site, what will they need? How can you make their journey easy and enjoyable?

Here are some things to consider for a smooth user experience:

• Organize your site clearly. You can use categories like ‘Meal Plans,’ ‘Consultations,’ and ‘Recipes’ so visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.
• Use clear calls-to-action (CTA). You can include buttons or links with clear instructions, such as ‘Book a Consultation’ or ‘View Meal Plans’ to help visitors take the next step.
• Keep navigation simple. You’ll want to make sure your menu is easy to use and leads visitors directly to the information they need.

Now, you can take your time to plan out these foundational elements. Ultimately, this will set you up for success and make sure your site becomes a helpful, engaging resource for your audience.

Once you have your site carefully planned, you’re ready for the next step.

Step 2. Set Up Hosting, Domain, and WordPress

Setting up a WordPress website for your nutrition business can be simple and straightforward. You’ll begin by getting a domain name and a web hosting service.

A domain name is like your online street address – it’s what clients type into their browsers to find you, like smoothiecentral.com or fitfoodhub.com.

On the other hand, web hosting is where your website “lives” on the internet. We’ve picked some of the best WordPress hosting options to make this easy for your nutrition site.

Even though WordPress is free, hosting and domain names are the areas where you might spend some money. Typically, domains cost around $14.99 per year, and hosting starts at about $7.99 per month, which can add up along with other business expenses.

Here’s the upside: Bluehost offers our readers a free domain name and a huge discount on web hosting. They are a leading hosting company and are officially recommended by WordPress.org.

Plus, they include a free SSL certificate, which is crucial for securely handling client information online.

To get started, simply click the button below to take advantage of the deal – starting as low as $1.99 a month!

Next up, you’ll need to visit the Bluehost site and click the green ‘Get Started Now’ button.

On the pricing page, the ‘Basic’ or ‘Choice Plus’ plan should serve you well, as these plans cover all essentials for your site. After selecting a plan, just click ‘Continue.’

Next, you’ll want to choose a domain name that’s easy to remember and related to your business.

If your preferred name is unavailable, consider including your location or a specific service focus like “health” or “wellness.”

After choosing your domain, you can click ‘Next’ and provide your account details, such as your name and email address.

Bluehost will then suggest some extras, but they’re optional and can be added later if needed.

Finally, go ahead and enter your payment information to complete the setup.

Once done, you should receive a welcome email from Bluehost with instructions on how to log in to your control panel, where you can manage your website and install WordPress.

And with that, you’re ready to start building your nutrition business website.

Step 3. Create Your Nutrition Business Website

Bluehost makes creating a nutrition business website easy with automatic WordPress installation. When you sign up through our link, WordPress is automatically installed on your chosen domain—no extra steps are needed.

If you want to create an additional WordPress site, then you’ll want to navigate to the ‘Websites’ tab in your Bluehost dashboard.

Then, simply click on the ‘Add Site’ button to get started.

The Bluehost wizard will guide you through the setup process, which includes customizing your website title, choosing your domain name, and setting up the website.

After completing the Bluehost WordPress setup wizard, simply hit ‘Complete Setup.’

You’ll then be directed to the site admin area.

You can also visit your WordPress dashboard anytime by typing yoursite.com/wp-admin/ in your browser. Just don’t forget to replace yoursite.com with your domain name.

For details, you can check out our guide on installing WordPress with major hosting providers, including SiteGround, Hostinger, and HostGator.

Step 4. Find and Use the Perfect Nutrition Website Theme

Now that your website is set up, it’s time to make it look amazing with the perfect theme. A WordPress theme is like a “skin” that controls the general appearance of your website.

A well-chosen theme can really highlight your nutrition business and create a good user experience.

You can start by exploring the WordPress theme directory. It’s full of free themes that are easy to install directly from your WordPress dashboard.

Simply navigate to ‘Appearance’ and then ‘Themes’ to start browsing. Look for clean and modern themes. You can also use the filter feature to find themes specifically designed for health and wellness.

If you don’t know where to start, then feel free to check out our expert picks of the best WordPress themes for recipe blogs.

Alternatively, our list of the best medical and health WordPress themes might be a good start if your business is related to wellness, healthcare services, or nutrition coaching.

If you have a specific look in mind and a budget to invest in, then you might want to check out premium theme marketplaces like ThemeIsle or Elegant Themes.

These platforms offer a wide variety of beautifully crafted themes with advanced features that can help set your website apart. A premium theme often comes with support and updates, giving you peace of mind.

Another great option is using SeedProd, which is a powerful theme builder that allows you to customize every aspect of your website.

Beyond offering customizable starter themes, SeedProd lets you create custom designs without writing any code.

Once you’ve found a theme you love, installing it is simple:

• If you’re using a theme from the WordPress directory, just click ‘Activate’ after installing it. For detailed step-by-step instructions, you can go through our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress theme.
• For premium themes, you’ll typically upload the theme file in your dashboard’s ‘Themes’ area and then activate it.
• With SeedProd, you can play around with its drag-and-drop builder to apply your design changes effortlessly. For details, see our complete SeedProd review.

Choosing the right theme is an exciting part of building your website, so you can take your time exploring your options to find the one that best represents your vision.

A well-designed theme will not only boost your site’s appearance but also improve user experience. It encourages visitors to stick around and learn more about your nutrition expertise.

Step 5. Customize the Homepage to Reflect Your Brand

Your homepage is the digital storefront of your nutrition business, so it’s important to make it welcoming and informative. Customizing this central hub will make sure that visitors instantly understand what your brand stands for and what you offer.

In this stage, you’ll first want to define which one of your pages is your home page.

Now, WordPress provides 2 default content types: posts and pages.

Typically, posts are used to create articles and blogs. So, ideally, you’ll want your posts page to be your WordPress blog page.

To do this, let’s navigate to Settings » Reading from your WordPress dashboard.

For ‘Your homepage displays,’ you’ll need to enable ‘A static page (select below)’ to set up your home and post pages.

After that, simply open the dropdown next to ‘Homepage’ and ‘Posts page.’ Then, you’ll want to choose the relevant option for each dropdown menu.

There are more configuration settings here. For example, you can set up how many blog posts and RSS (Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary) feeds to show on one page.

If you scroll down the panel, you can choose to show the full version or just the excerpt for each post.

Then, you’ll also want to leave the box for ‘Search engine visibility’ unchecked. This allows search engines like Google to crawl and index your website, which means your site will get listed on Google.

However, you can check the ‘Search Engine Visibility’ box to discourage search engines from indexing your site while you build it. You can always return to this page to uncheck when ready.

That’s it – you’ve set up and configured your site’s homepage!

Don’t forget to hit the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your new settings.

You can now start customizing your homepage through the WordPress block editor or the SeedProd builder interface. This will highly depend on which theme you use.

For more information, you can go through our detailed guide on how to create a custom homepage.

Don’t forget to include essential details like social media links to connect with your audience.

A clear call to action that encourages visitors to take the next step is important, too.

Here are some ideas for goals that need powerful call-to-action buttons:

Once you’re happy with the design, go ahead and publish it. Then, you’ll want to see how it looks on different devices, making sure your website is responsive and visually appealing on both desktop and mobile.

Step 6. Add a Service Page to Promote Your Online Nutrition Consultation Services

Adding a service or pricing page helps visitors understand what you offer, how they can work with you, and the costs involved. On your service page, you should clearly explain the consultation options you provide, whether it’s one-on-one sessions or group consultations.

The more information you give, the easier it will be for clients to make decisions.

To create a service page, you can start by creating a new page on your WordPress site. Simply navigate to Pages » Add New Page and then, in the content editor, you can write the page title and description.

Once done, you’ll add a pricing table. For more information, you can see our guide on how to add beautiful pricing tables in WordPress.

You should also consider using a plugin like MemberPress to create a members-only area on your site, which will add a new revenue stream to your nutrition business.

Then, you can share exclusive videos, recipes, diet plans, or anything else that can help support your members’ health journeys.

By providing this content behind a paywall, you’re offering even more value and making it easy to manage subscriptions and payments.

For more information, you’ll want to check out our ultimate guide on creating a membership website.

Step 7. Offer Subscriber-Only Online Courses

We also recommend offering online courses to add even more value for your clients and increase the revenue from your nutrition website.

For example, you could create an exclusive course on “Healthy Meal Planning for Busy People” or “Understanding Macronutrients: A Beginner’s Guide.”

Another idea might be “Nutrition for Weight Loss” or a more specialized course like “Managing Diabetes with Diet.”

These courses can help your subscribers learn more about nutrition and give them the tools they need to make healthier choices.

With the MemberPress CoachKit add-on, you can easily create and manage these courses. All while making it simple for your subscribers to learn at their own pace.

It also lets you create one-on-one sessions, giving your clients personal attention and tailored advice.

Plus, with the Courses add-on, you can create full online courses that guide subscribers through learning more about their own nutrition.

For detailed instructions, you can read our guide on how to create and sell online courses with WordPress.

Step 8. Set Up a Nutrition Blog to Show Expertise and Attract Clients

A nutrition blog is a great place to share tips and recipes. But beyond that, it’s your secret weapon for improving SEO and driving more traffic.

When done right, a blog can also build trust, grow your audience, and showcase your expertise. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with people who share your passion for healthy living.

Now, coming up with fresh ideas can feel tricky, but you can always start with the questions your clients ask most often. Then, for every question you research, you’ll want to check out the ‘People also Ask’ section on Google search results.

For example, you might want to write about “Quick Healthy Breakfasts for Busy Mornings” or “How to Read Food Labels Like a Pro.” Seasonal topics like “Holiday Meal Swaps for a Healthier You” are also great ideas.

Then, you can boost your SEO with keyword research by finding the words people search for online. Tools like LowFruits can help you find niche keywords that you can easily rank for with your content.

You’ll want to focus on keywords that fit your niche, have decent search volume, and aren’t too competitive to attract the right audience and rank higher.

For more information, you can read our guide on how to do keyword research for your WordPress blog.

There are more tips and tricks to do this. To learn them all, you can check out our guide on how to quickly generate blog ideas. Then, we recommend keeping a running list of ideas so you’re never scrambling for your next post.

Once you have blog post ideas, the next step is to develop these ideas into well-written pieces. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a simple structure:

1. Grab attention with a relatable introduction.
2. Share helpful tips or actionable steps.
3. Wrap it up with a takeaway or a call to action.

For a detailed guide, just check out our tutorial on how to create blog post outlines and how to write great blog posts that stand out.

If you’re also sharing nutritious recipes on your food blog, then we recommend using WP Tasty. It allows you to design attractive and reader-friendly recipes that will stand out on your blog.

For details, see our complete WP Tasty review.

You can even add professional nutrition facts labels using Nutrifox.

It’s a great tool that makes it easy to show the nutritional value of your meals. For example, a nutrition label on a recipe can help diabetics track their sugar intake, promoting healthier lifestyles.

To help you get started, you can go through our guide on how to display nutrition facts labels in WordPress.

Step 9. Build Trust with Testimonials and Qualifications

Client testimonials play a key role in building trust with your audience. Strong testimonials act as social proof, helping to build trust with visitors and increase your chances of converting them into customers.

If you want to create a beautiful, fully customizable page with a testimonials section, then we recommend SeedProd.

SeedProd is one of the top drag-and-drop page builders for WordPress, trusted by over 1 million websites. It offers 90 pre-made blocks and more than 350 templates, making it easy to design custom pages and add rotating testimonials to your site.

To get started, simply install and activate the plugin. If you need help, then you can see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you’ll want to head over to SeedProd » Settings and enter your SeedProd license key. You’ll find this in your account on the SeedProd website.

Once entered, just click ‘Verify Key’ to confirm.

Then, you can go to SeedProd » Pages and click the ‘Add New Landing Page’ button to create a new page layout.

When you see the template page, just hover over the one you like, then click the checkmark to select it. But you can always choose the blank template if you prefer to start from scratch.

After that, you can give the page a name and a custom URL.

Click ‘Save and Start Editing the Page’ to enter SeedProd’s drag-and-drop editor.

To add a testimonial section, simply drag the Testimonials block from the left-hand menu onto your page.

If you want make the testimonials section rotate, then you’ll need to add more testimonials. Simply click ‘Add Testimonial’ and repeat the customization process for each one.

Once you’ve added a few testimonials, you can rotate them automatically.

To do this, you’ll need to click on ‘Carousel Settings’ to change the color scheme, slider speed, and whether the testimonials should scroll automatically.

For details, you can go to our guide on how to add rotating testimonials in WordPress.

Similarly, showcasing your qualifications, like a nutrition degree, helps establish credibility and trustworthiness. When potential clients see that you have the proper training and expertise, they’re more likely to trust your advice and services.

So, it’s important to add these credentials on your website – whether that’s on your About page, in a dedicated ‘Credential’ section, or even alongside your testimonials.

The good news is that you can easily create a section on the page to highlight your qualifications.

For a step-by-step guide, check the section on editing a page in our ultimate guide on how to edit a WordPress website.

Step 10. Allow Clients to Contact You

An online contact form is a must-have for any nutrition business website. It’s a simple yet powerful tool that allows clients and potential customers to reach out with inquiries, feedback, or service requests without any hassle.

By embedding a form on your site, you also ensure that customer communications are streamlined and stored in one place rather than scattered across email threads.

To set up a seamless contact form, we recommend using WPForms, which is one of the most beginner-friendly and versatile form builders available. The plugin makes the process quick and straightforward, so you can focus more on engaging with your clients.

We use WPForms on our own websites, and you can learn more about it in our complete WPForms review.

To get started, let’s install WPForms from your WordPress dashboard and activate it. If you need help, then you can go through our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

WPForms has a handy drag-and-drop builder and several pre-built templates to suit various needs, including a simple contact form template perfect for nutrition businesses.

You can customize the form fields to gather the information you need, like names, email addresses, and maybe a space for messages or specific questions.

Please note that you want to ensure that you’re collecting enough information to provide meaningful responses, but keep the form short and sweet to reduce form abandonment.

Lastly, make sure to set up notifications so you’re alerted whenever someone fills out the form. This way, you can respond promptly and show your clients that you value their communication.

For more information, you can check out our guide on how to create a contact form in WordPress.

Providing a business phone number is another great way to allow potential clients to reach you easily and directly. It also separates professional and personal calls, keeping you organized.

With modern services like Nextiva, you can manage calls, voicemails, and even text messages from one platform.

We use Nextiva at WPBeginner for our business phone service, and in our experience, it’s the best virtual business phone system for both features and pricing. If you want more information, feel free to read our Nextiva review.

Once you’ve added content to your nutrition website, you’ll want to set up a clear navigation menu to help visitors easily navigate your pages and posts.

No matter which theme you’re using, WordPress makes it simple to create menus and sub-menus for your site. A well-organized menu helps visitors find the information they’re looking for, whether it’s your services, blog posts, or contact details.

To keep your site easy to navigate, you’ll want to arrange your menu items in logical order.

For a complete walkthrough, you can check out our beginner’s guide on how to add a navigation menu in WordPress.

Bonus Tips: How to Grow Your New Nutrition Business Website

Starting your nutrition business website is just the first step. Growing it takes consistent effort, smart strategies, and the right tools. With the right approach, you can reach a bigger audience and build your brand.

Here are some tips to help you expand your reach and grow your business:

• Monitor and Improve Site Speed: A fast website keeps visitors happy and helps SEO. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to track your site’s performance and speed and make improvements. A faster site can lead to better engagement and more conversions.
• Optimize Your Site for SEO: To do this, you’ll need AIOSEO, which is the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market. It can help your site rank better in search engines, making it easier for potential clients to find you.
• Leverage Email Marketing: Building an email list is key for staying connected with your audience and turning leads into loyal clients. Send out email newsletters, updates, and helpful content to keep your subscribers engaged and coming back for more.
• Use a Lead Generation Tool: If you offer consultation services online, then you should try using OptinMonster. It’s the best tool for capturing visitor information and turning website traffic into paying clients.

How to Start an Online Nutrition Business Website FAQs

You’ve now learned how to start your online nutrition business, but you might still have some questions. To help you out, we’ve put together answers to some of the most common FAQs.

How do you start an online nutrition consultation service?

To start an online nutrition consultation service, you can set up a simple WordPress website that highlights your services, qualifications, and experience. You can also use tools for video calls, add an online booking system, and set up payment options so that clients can easily schedule and pay.

How much should I charge for a nutrition plan?

The price of a nutrition plan can vary based on your experience and what’s included in the plan. Most plans range from $50 to $300 or more. But you can double-check what other nutritionists are charging and find a rate that matches your value.

How do I market myself as a nutritionist?

You can start by building your online presence with social media, sharing useful content, and writing a blog or email newsletter. To get your name out there, it’s also a good idea to team up with other health professionals, join health forums, and get involved in local communities.

How do I start a nutrition blog?

To build a nutrition blog, you’ll need to choose a niche you’re passionate about and know well, then pick a blogging platform. The next step is to start writing helpful blog posts and engage with your readers through comments and social media. Just make sure your posts are optimized for search engines for better results.

How do I start freelancing as a nutritionist?

You can try signing up on freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr and create a profile that highlights your skills and experience. However, having your own website can make things easier. You can showcase your services and give clients an easy way to contact you, all in one place. This also helps you avoid platform fees.

That’s all there is to it! We hope this article has helped you start your online nutrition business website. Next up, you might want to check out our guide on how to add a forum in WordPress and our expert picks of the best WordPress LMS plugins compared.

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