TECH CRUNCH -- Feb 7 -- Jobster, which has raised nearly $50 million in venture capital, is making a dramatic business model shift starting tonight, by making all job listings free (and much more). Their goal is to do what PlentyOfFish is doing to Match.com. Jobster hopes to make a large dent in Monster's billion dollar a year revenue stream. FULL ARTICLE @ TECH CRUNCH
Mark Brooks: Jobster burned through a lot of money, lost out to Monster, laid staff off...and gone free. Is 'free,' really the way to go? How duplicatable is the PlentyofFish business model? Your comments please.
When will people realize that ad revenue != taking business away from paid dating sites. Prove that PoF is more effective than Match or eHarmony, now that's worth talking about.
Posted by: David Evans | Feb 10, 2007 at 12:53 PM
I believe the only way the paid sites are going to retain memberships is to offer far more than sites like PoF offer... Personalized service, if only the idea of it, is somehow translated at places like Match.com, I'd give it another go. Personally, I don't see the value at $29.99 a month USD for a site that offers less selection than PoF does for free.
Posted by: NetChick | Feb 10, 2007 at 03:43 PM
Quite simply... people who are more serious will continue on at sites like match.com or e-harmony. POF seems to be full of younger kids just playing around. When you pay, you getting people serious about meeting.
Posted by: Jon | Feb 11, 2007 at 10:38 PM
I don't really understand this move by Jobster. From what I understand, job postings are paid by the company looking for employees. Job seekers already have many free choices (craigslist, etc). Companies can afford to pay for a job listing. I don't think companies are going to move to jobster because its free. They are going to use whatever gets them the best applicants.
I don't see how going Jobster going free accomplishes this.
Dating is completely different, its the "viewers" that were paying.
Posted by: Vanchau | Feb 21, 2007 at 09:18 PM