In my consulting business over the past year I have been contacted by a growing number of staffing firms and independent recruiters who are looking to launch their own job board. The launch of Google for Jobs and Facebook getting into our space has surely been the catalyst behind these calls. But there are other reasons too.

Reason #1 - Getting on Google for Jobs

Google's new job search is the next source of free traffic that Indeed used to provide. But there are really only two ways to get your jobs listed. Either your ATS has to be setup for it or having a job board gets you included.

A standalone site that targets your recruiting niche is the perfect solution for getting free Google for Jobs traffic. Software vendors like Smart Job Board and Jobboard.io are already 'google jobs friendly' out of the box.

Reason #2 - Avoiding Indeed Jail

The biggest job site in the world has been cracking down on what they deem as "duplicate" job postings and shutting off more feeds. They did this first with job boards and are now focusing on staffing firms as they try to rid their site of all jobs except from employers.

It's even happened to popular recruiting leaders like Tim Sackett who got turned off earlier this year and started a #freeTimSackett hashtag campaign. Having your own job board ensures your jobs are always in your control.

Reason #3 - Lead Generation

A job board is a great lead gen tool for both candidates and employers. It provides a place to send candidates you can't hire and offers employers another channel to post jobs.

Reason #4 - Monetize Your Candidates

Speaking of candidates you can't hire, a job board allows you to monetize your existing database. By partnering with affiliate providers like ZipRecruiter for backfill and TopResume you can earn incremental revenue as long as you can drive traffic to the site. They are your candidates so you might as well leverage them

How to Get Started

There are number of online software providers that offer a cheap DIY solution. (I can also set them up for you-see below)

Job Board Software

Each of the providers are my two recommended solutions for a hosted software vendor that won’t break your bank. Monthly costs range from $200-$400 per month

• Jobboard.io
• SmartJobBoard

Things You’ll Need to Plug-in

• Stripe.com for ecommerce (cost free)
• Google Analytics + Search Console accounts (free)
• Mailchimp for email collection (free for first 2,000 subscribers)
• ZipRecruiter affiliate account (for backfill) (free)
• Logo ($)
• Social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram

Internet Marketing Skills

The only cost to start on online job site is just the cost of the job board software vendor. Of course you will need to advertise the site to help build traffic. That also includes content marketing. Both vendors offer the ability to have a blog and create pages on your site so you have the ability to leverage content marketing skills for traffic.

Google for Jobs will help to drive some free traffic but you will need to submit your sitemap to the Google Search Console.

What to Expect

The first year of your job board is the most critical for success. Focus on building an audience and less about revenue. Aim to have 7,000-10,000 monthly visitors to your site as a general rule by the end of year 1. Revenue will greatly depend on your niche and marketing efforts.