Sitecore triples size in Sausalito move

MILL VALLEY -- Websites are wonderful, if not essential, company marketing tools, but the anonymity of Internet visitors has been vexing until technology such as Sitecore's came along in recent years to help businesses prepare the welcome mat when the cyber window shopping becomes a sale. And demand for such under-the-hood website tech has pushed Sitecore's North American headquarters to plan to expand into 36,000 square feet in southern Marin.

Sitecore USA currently has 70 employees in 11,000 square feet of two Mill Valley office buildings. With its lease expiring, Sitecore in mid-June inked a deal for more than triple that amount of space at 2320 Marinship Way in Sausalito.

"We are the infrastructure behind the scenes of large websites," said Bjarne Hansen, president of Sitecore USA, part of Denmark-based Sitecore International.

Of the five top product marketing companies in the U.S., three use Sitecore Experience Platform software for their websites. Examples range from US Soccer for this year's World Cup to Petaluma-based Camelbak.

[caption id="attachment_96046" align="alignright" width="280"] The Sitecore Experience Platform page editor interface for custom applications[/caption]

The platform has a number of layers of what has become called "customer experience management" in the world of website wizardry. The profile level uses various software technologies to build an anonymous interests profile of website visitors long before they make purchases or submit personal information. Another level automates website functionality and design to be appealing on a range of screen sizes or device types, and allows for deployment of mobile apps. A content layer simplifies how messaging, pricing details, graphics and other media deployed and managed.

A marketing layer allows for A/B comparison campaigns, automatically scores visitor profiles based on behavior then delivers customized and even personalized messaging and marketing accordingly. And this knowledge about customers present and future can be connected into existing customer-resource management, or CRM, software.

In early July, Sitecore made a majority investment in Denmark-based Komfo, which makes social media marketing and management software. Sitecore Social, using that software, allows automated monitoring and responding to multiple social media channels for companies with large-scale Internet presence.

[caption id="attachment_96047" align="alignleft" width="252"] Bjarne Hansen[/caption]

Information technology experts set up computer servers for websites and hosting services, but customer experience management software is creating new jobs that report both marketing and IT executives, Mr. Hansen said.

"It used to be that we sold this technology to IT departments, but now the marketer has the ability to have more of a say and do more with the website," he said.

Company revenues have been growing at roughly 30 percent a year, and staffing in Sausalito is expected to grow at a similar rate, Mr. Hansen said.

Sitecore USA has a couple hundred employees operating from Mill Valley, Toronto and Manchester, N.H., and is opening offices in the Boston area and San Mateo. Sitecore International has about 800 employees.

Meryl Sebestyen of Cornish & Carey Commercial Newmark Knight Frank represented Sitecore USA in the June 16 lease. Brian Eisberg, and David Walwyn also of Cornish & Carey represented 2320 Marinship owner MCSSM, LLC.

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