How to Launch a Job Board Website with Bluehost and WordPress in 2025

If you’ve ever thought about building your own job board website, now is the perfect time to do it. Whether you want to target a niche like remote jobs, tech roles, or freelance gigs, a job board can help connect employers with qualified talent and generate passive income through listings and ads. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to launch a professional job board using Bluehost and WordPress. No coding needed. Just a few simple tools and a smart layout. Let’s get started.

 

Step 1: Get Hosting with Bluehost

Before you can build your site, you need a place to host it. I recommend Bluehost because it’s beginner-friendly, affordable, and works well with WordPress. Go to Bluehost’s website and sign up for a shared hosting plan. The Basic plan is great for starters and comes with a free domain name for the first year. During checkout, you’ll create your domain name (yourjobboard.com) and set up your Bluehost account.

 

Once you complete the setup, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you. This saves a lot of time.

 

Step 2: Log Into WordPress and Choose a Theme

After setup, log in to your WordPress dashboard. This is your control panel for everything on your website.

To make your site look good, go to “Appearance” and click “Themes.” You can pick a free theme, but for job boards, I recommend using a theme designed for listings. Some great ones include:

• Astra (fast and customizable)
• OceanWP (clean and responsive)
• JobScout or Jobify (designed for job boards)

Install your theme and click “Activate.”

 

Step 3: Install the WP Job Manager Plugin

Now that your website is live, it’s time to add the job board functionality.

Go to “Plugins” > “Add New” and search for WP Job Manager. It’s a free plugin that adds all the core features you need for posting and managing job listings.

Click “Install” and then “Activate.”

After activation, follow the setup prompts. The plugin will create basic pages like:

• Submit Job
• Job Dashboard
• Jobs Listings

You can place these in your main menu under “Appearance” > “Menus” so people can find them easily.

 

Step 4: Customize Job Listings

With WP Job Manager, you can control how listings look and work.

Go to “Job Listings” > “Settings” to:

• Set the number of jobs shown per page
• Decide if users need an account to post jobs
• Choose how long listings stay active before expiring
• Add filters like job type, location, or category

You can also enable front-end submissions so that employers can post jobs directly from your site without logging into the backend.

 

Step 5: Design a Homepage That Converts

You don’t need to be a designer to make a clean homepage.

Use the WordPress block editor or install Elementor for drag-and-drop editing. Highlight the most important features of your job board:

• Search bar or “Find a Job” button
• Featured job listings
• Call to action for employers to “Post a Job”
• Testimonials or job seeker success stories
• Email opt-in to collect leads

 

Make sure your navigation is simple and mobile-friendly. Most traffic these days comes from phones.

 

Step 6: Set Up Email Notifications

You’ll want to stay in the loop when new jobs get posted or expire.

Go to WP Job Manager > Settings > Emails. You can configure:

• Alerts for new submissions
• Approval or rejection notifications
• Reminders for expired jobs
• Application confirmation for job seekers

This helps keep your site active and users informed.

 

Step 7: Monetize Your Job Board

Now that your job board is up, you can start earning from it.

Here are a few ways to make money:

• Paid Job Listings: Use the WP Job Manager add-on for paid listings. Set your price for basic, featured, or urgent listings.
• Featured Listings: Charge extra to feature jobs at the top of the page.
• Ads or Sponsorships: Sell banner space to companies or use Google AdSense.
• Affiliate Links: Promote resume tools or online courses and earn commissions.
• Email Newsletter: Send job updates to subscribers and sell ad space in your emails.

 

Step 8: Drive Traffic and Get Employers

A job board needs traffic to succeed. Start by:

• Posting on social media
• Sharing jobs on LinkedIn or Reddit
• Creating content around job search tips
• Reaching out to companies directly
• Running local or niche ads
• Offering the first 10 job posts free

The key is to build trust and provide value to both job seekers and employers.

 

Step 9: Keep Improving Over Time

After launching, look at your analytics. Which pages get the most traffic? Are people bouncing before applying?

Use tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar to see where people click and what might be confusing. Small design changes can lead to big gains. You can also install a resume submission add-on, enable filtering by salary or remote-only jobs, or add user reviews to build more trust.

 

Final Thoughts

Starting a job board sounds complicated, but Bluehost and WordPress make it simple. With the WP Job Manager plugin, you can have a fully functional platform live in under a day. From there, it’s all about refining your site, driving traffic, and testing ways to monetize. Whether you’re helping people land jobs or businesses find the right candidates, this setup gives you the foundation to grow. If you’re ready to start your job board, Bluehost is offering a discount and a free domain for the first year. Use the link below to get started.