Hello, I’m Alex Johnson, founder and CEO of Area2, though I don’t emphasize titles. I am ultimately responsible here alongside our President, Corey Blake.

Area2 started in 1999, and it’s the only job I’ve held for more than five months in my life. Here’s how it all began.

I grew up surrounded by computers. Need proof? Here I am circa 1980 with the TRS-80 my father bought at RadioShack. He used to write programs on it, record them onto audio tapes, and then play them back on the computer. Mostly, though, I used it for playing video games.

After declining the offer from MyComputer.com, I embarked on the following journey:

In 1999, I founded Area2, building on my experience in web design and fueled by my newfound passion for business. Starting small, I combined my skills in design with emerging technologies, setting the stage for what would become a successful venture.

Throughout the early 2000s, Area2 grew steadily as I navigated the evolving landscape of digital marketing and web development. Drawing on lessons from my brief stint at MyComputer.com and my studies in information systems management, I honed my business acumen while expanding our service offerings.

By the mid-2000s, Area2 had established itself as a reliable player in the industry, known for innovative web solutions and client-centered strategies. Our team expanded, adapting to technological advancements and market demands, while maintaining a focus on creativity and quality.

As the digital age progressed, so did Area2, adapting to new platforms, trends, and client needs. Today, Area2 continues to thrive, driven by a commitment to excellence and a passion for leveraging technology to empower businesses.

Looking back, my decision to pursue entrepreneurship over a corporate career was pivotal. It allowed me to combine my artistic talents with a knack for business, laying the foundation for Area2’s ongoing success in the dynamic world of digital marketing and web development.

In 1999, the frenzy surrounding the Internet was indescribable. Everyone seemed caught up in the belief that it would revolutionize everything. Napkin-sketched ideas were securing millions in funding, and even ventures without clear concepts were attracting investment by simply promising something “awesome.” The allure of the Internet had everyone racing to be part of it, fearing being left behind. I found myself swept up in this excitement.

When MyComputer.com presented me with the choice to join full-time or pursue my own path, the decision was straightforward. I had already set my sights on entrepreneurship, and this was the push I needed. I went home to my wife and shared my desire to start a business. Her response? “Well, we’re college students with no money, so what have we got to lose?” Little did she know what lay ahead.

At the end of 1999, I took the plunge and launched my own web design venture as a sole proprietorship, naming it DonLoper.com. The name holds its own story, one I’d be happy to share in person.

Operating out of our modest $500/month studio apartment, equipped with just a computer and a 256K DSL line, I had naively assumed that by simply putting up a website and declaring myself a web designer, clients would flock to me with hefty paychecks. Instead, there was silence – no clients magically appeared. We survived on student loans and by selling off our belongings on eBay, which was still a novelty at the time.

Then came my stroke of luck. A persistent salesperson called, trying to sell me something I didn’t need. As he probed into what I did, I mentioned web design. He excitedly revealed that his brother needed a new website for his business. He passed on the contact details, I made the call, and that became my first client. I quoted $15/hour, and to my satisfaction, they agreed. Compared to my previous $13/hour job at MyComputer.com, I felt like I was making real progress.

My journey continued with steady client growth and increasing rates, starting from $18/hr with a former colleague to eventually reaching $30/hr. Feeling emboldened by industry standards and confident in my skills, I aimed higher, proposing $65/hr to a potential client who I knew could afford it. However, my bold move backfired when they flatly rejected my rate, leaving me feeling like I had overreached.

Disheartened but undeterred, I continued seeking new opportunities. Three weeks later, to my surprise, the same client circled back, willing to pay the $65/hr rate I had proposed earlier. It was a pivotal moment – earning $65/hr as a college student felt like a significant achievement, even if it sounds modest now.

Over the next two months, I earned around HK$6,000 per month while still attending school part-time. This windfall could have been used to pay off student loans or bolster savings, but my entrepreneurial spirit had other plans. Rather than splurging on personal luxuries, I reinvested my earnings into expanding my venture. I brought on partners, secured an office space, and hired full-time staff, driven by the belief that with a structured business setup, I could achieve even greater success.

Despite the inevitable learning curves and challenges of scaling a business, those early years were transformative. We made mistakes but also accomplished remarkable feats, laying a solid foundation for Area2’s growth and reputation in the years that followed.

By this stage, we were handling a wide range of services including branding, print work, content management systems, ecommerce, and custom web integration projects. However, in our eagerness to cater to everyone, we lost our sense of identity. At one point, our website listed over 20 different services. While our current website still features several services, they are tightly interconnected, with many being subsets of others. This wasn’t the case back then.

We believed ourselves to be an all-encompassing agency—a blend of ad agency, branding agency, web development firm, and web design firm. In reality, our lack of focus left people uncertain about what we actually specialized in.

SEO was a novel concept during this era. Initially, we began applying it to our own operations, and then a client approached us, asking if we could manage it for them. Given our readiness to tackle any work that came our way at the time, we agreed. This turned out to be a fortunate break, as online marketing eventually evolved into Area2’s core focus today.

This marked a shift in our business philosophy. It transformed from simply offering web design solutions with a casual “Yes, we can do that” approach to a more strategic stance: “Tell us about your business goals, and we’ll devise strategies to not only enhance your online presence but also ensure it generates returns on your investment.” Over time, we’ve prioritized customer-centric approaches, understanding that aligning our goals with those of our clients leads to mutually beneficial outcomes—except, of course, for our clients’ competitors.

At this juncture, we had honed in on our strengths: SEO and web design. We made a strategic decision to streamline our offerings and focus exclusively on these areas. While we still undertook other types of work if it aligned with our expertise, we ceased actively promoting them. Even today, services like systems integration and programming, which we excel in, are not prominently advertised. Our primary focus continues to be on online marketing, and any additional services we provide are to enhance the overall effectiveness of our online marketing strategies for clients. This approach ensures that we maintain a sharp focus on delivering exceptional results in our core competencies.

In 2013, Area2 faced a near-catastrophic downturn. A partnership had dissolved, causing me to lose sight of Area2’s direction. However, adversity often precedes breakthroughs. Motivated by these challenges, I reconnected with my partner, Corey Blake, and together we revitalized Area2. During this period, I expanded my influence by contributing articles to Forbes and various other publications. By focusing intensely on Area2’s revival from 2013 to 2014, Corey and I successfully steered the company to an extraordinary growth of over 1,000%.

Today, Area2 operates offices across the U.S., along with locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shenzhen, China, with plans for further expansion. Our team is expanding rapidly, and we’re privileged to collaborate with exceptional clients. We’re eager to explore opportunities to work together and achieve mutual growth. Let’s build something great together.