Bowen He

It’s a no-brainer that a digital marketing agency will pay close attention to its own online image. Small wonder then that Webzilla, started in 2020 by University of Auckland computer science graduate Bowen He, boasts a 4.9-star satisfaction rating on Google reviews from more than 100 happy customers.

Such high scoring not only looks good but is deeply gratifying, Bowen says.

“There’s incredible satisfaction in knowing we’ve helped clients grow significantly – some have scaled from $4 million to $60 million in revenue within two years. That kind of real impact reminds me why we do what we do. Of course there’s also the personal reward of building a profitable, sustainable business.”

From small beginnings as a web development service Webzilla has grown into a full-scale digital marketing firm with customers in Australia, New Zealand, China, the US, the UK and Canada. More than 90 percent of its clients are medium-to-large Chinese-owned businesses, and its mission is to help Chinese enterprises expand globally.

Last year the agency was named a Google Premier Partner, placing it in the top three percent of digital marketing companies in New Zealand. It was also shortlisted for the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Best Use of SEO award.

It hasn’t been a solo journey, Bowen says. He acknowledges not having a clear idea of the direction he wanted to go in after graduating, so he was open to being influenced by University of Auckland alumna Sophia Sun, who has a Master of Marketing.

“I felt lost and wasn’t sure if I wanted to follow a traditional path. I explored multiple directions – from investing in a food-truck business called Eggloo in my second year of uni to working on construction sites and eventually doing tech internships in Shanghai and Auckland.

“It took time and experimentation, but I eventually returned to my roots in IT.”

He launched Webzilla initially offering only website development before expanding into full-service digital marketing, with Sophia’s background in business management playing a critical role in shaping the company’s direction and success.

“Her insight has helped guide some of our most important decisions over the years,” Bowen says.

If he had a good handle on the technology side of the business the same couldn’t be said of his mastery of people management.

“Managing people has been the single greatest challenge – at any stage of growth,” he says.

He found it’s one thing to hire staff but another to get the best from them.

“It’s critical for business owners to master recruitment, leadership and team alignment. I’ve paid the price of many mistakes in this area, but each one has shaped my understanding of what it takes to build a resilient team.”

He’s been able to draw on a key lesson from university: “It instilled in me the habit of lifelong learning. This mindset has been invaluable in navigating business challenges and quickly adapting to changing conditions.

“With my background in IT I’ve also had a unique advantage in the digital marketing space – especially in understanding Google’s evolving algorithm and broader industry trends.”

He sees a big future for Webzilla.

“I aim to build the largest Chinese-owned digital marketing agency in the world. We’ve already achieved this within the Australian and New Zealand markets – Webzilla is currently the only Chinese-owned company verified in Google’s 2024 top 3 percent Premier Partners list across both countries.”

Having turned a profit after just a year and with rapid expansion across the Tasman – since the Australian launch in 2023 that market accounts for 40 percent of Webzilla’s clients – he has good grounds for optimism.

“My ability to learn quickly and detect shifts in the market gives us a competitive edge,” Bowen says.