• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 19, 2009

Demandbase on Tuesday will release Demandbase Professional 2.0, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering aimed at providing sales leads from existing Web site traffic. The latest version integrates Demandbase Stream, the Web tracking widget used by more than 1,000 businesses that serve other companies.

The new functions enable sales teams to identify and act on sales leads as they occur. A stream at the bottom of the computer screen on the desktop does not identify the person searching the site, but rather the company where the site visitor works. Mouse over the stream and a pop-up window reveals the most likely contact at the company based on the department. The tool also lets users personalize emails to that person.

Chris Golec, CEO at Demandbase, says 98% of the traffic visiting a company's Web site isn't identifiable because the persona accessing the site doesn't sign in, making it virtually impossible to identify leads. "We can identify the business, the office from the business, and score the visit based on what's important to you," he said. "You get a pretty good handle on the need and the interest. It's a new opportunity that would otherwise go untouched."

Demandbase Professional can't identify the saleswoman or marketing professional working from a home office accessing the Web through an ISP, rather than a virtual private network (VPN).

Aside from turning the Web site into a lead generation tool, the new service automatically builds a qualified marketing list based on target audiences identified within actual site traffic. New features in Professional 2.0 include integration with Demandbase Stream to let sales teams quickly respond to personalized email. Contacts are prioritized by actions, including pages viewed and referring domains.

Those using Salesforce.com AppExchange will notice that duplicate leads are automatically removed in the database. Marketers have an option to load selected contacts into the Salesforce database automatically or into a csv file. The application also provides marketing and sales teams with one-click access to Web traffic behavior, including the exact Web pages viewed and time spent on the site.

"Bloggers also use Demandbase Stream to see who reads content on their sites, but the latest release brings together the function for sales," Golec says.