Reflections from BoxCrush Employee #10

10 Years is a Long Time – Especially in My Field

Ten years ago, around the time Instagram made its debut, BoxCrush hired me as a freelancer. In November 2010, I became the tenth employee – and the first marketing employee – on the payroll, and I’ve been a dedicated BoxCrusher ever since. A lot has happened since that first freelance assignment! 

Sometimes it’s easy to overlook changes and growth within your own industry, because things rarely change overnight. Little by little, consumer preferences and behaviors change. Smartphones take over the world one mobile device at a time. Social media platforms expand their reach and subtly change how people interact. Digital marketing has evolved in the last 10 years – slowly at first, but sometimes at breakneck speed.

Then vs. Now

When I first started with BoxCrush, it wasn’t uncommon for a business to come to us without a website. Those who did have websites typically weren’t using a content management system, and they definitely weren’t concerned with updating their sites or making them mobile-friendly.

Today, the clients with no website are few and far between, but new businesses often come to us with a website that was built when they purchased their domain name. A static website that’s little more than a business listing can only do so much to engage users. 

In 2010, clients didn’t understand what kind of “maintenance” a website might need. Now, clients depend on us to make ongoing content updates and continually improve their site’s functionality and features. 

In 2010, Google AdWords was already dominating the paid ads landscape and reported a whopping $28.4 billion in revenue. That trend has continued, with their 2019 revenue ballooning to $160.74 billion. 

By the Numbers

These statistics show the astounding growth of the digital realm in the past 10 years.

Upward and Onward

In 2020, I’ve attended more Google Meet and Zoom meetings than I thought humanly possible. We’ve been working remotely for seven months – and somehow managed to launch seven websites during that time! It’s been exciting to grow with BoxCrush over the past 10 years. I can’t imagine what the next 10 years will bring, but I’m eager to find out.