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IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Episerver,™ a global provider of a single platform to smartly manage digital content, commerce and marketing in the cloud, today announced a call for entries and named the full panel of judges for its North America Site Awards 2017.

The awards recognize those organizations and brands that are defining the next generation of digital experience and customer engagement by celebrating excellence and best-in-class web, mobile and social sites built on the Episerver platform. Episerver customers, partners and employees can nominate digital experiences on the Episerver platform launched within the last 18 months.

There are five award categories with the first four being determined by a panel of judges, and the last determined by popular vote:

• Lead-generation - The main objective of the site is to generate sales leads. The experience is sticky and collects contact information from visitors for further sales processes. Gated content is mixed with public content in a smart and effective way.
• Brand and informational - The main purpose of the site is to drive engagement and awareness. The experience helps strengthen the brand and increases interest in the company's selection of products and services.
• Digital commerce - The main purpose is to sell products through digital engagement. It should be easy to find the product you are interested in, and the checkout flow should require only a few clicks. Creating an engaging, fun and easy shopping experience is very important.
• Service and support  - The main purpose is to help visitors find the right information quickly. A high level of customer service is important, such as by providing knowledge content and easy self-service to simplify everyday access and make it easy for visitors to get answers.
• People's choice - In addition to winning a category, this year all nominated entries will compete for Best North America Digital Experience. The winner will be appointed by the public.

"Our customers and partners have launched countless digital experiences across web, mobile, social sites this year, and we want to celebrate the incredible work of these teams," said James Norwood, executive vice president strategy and CMO of Episerver. "More sites are incorporating advanced Episerver features like personalized product recommendations and user-generated content, which creates memorable and individualized experiences for the visitor, and should be recognized by their industry peers."

Winners of the Episerver 2017 Customer Awards will demonstrate proficiency in the following areas: content; structure and navigation; multichannel and mobile capabilities; use of the Episerver platform; business results; and overall experience. The first four categories will be decided by a panel of judges comprised of commerce and marketing technology industry veterans, analysts and journalists:

• Pinar Salk, director, retail industry solutions at Microsoft™
• Sheryl Kingstone, research director, customer experience and commerce at 451 Group™
• Dom Nicastro, staff reporter at CMSWire™
• Cathy McKnight, co-founder and vice president, consulting and operations at Digital Clarity Group™
• Jason Goldberg, senior vice president, commerce and content practice at Razorfish™

"This is an exciting time to work in digital content, commerce and marketing," said Norwood. "With advancements in artificial intelligence and more flexibility in site development and deployment through headless, de-coupled and micro services architecture, marketers and merchandisers have never had more opportunity to create those exceptional digital experiences."

To nominate a website, complete the nomination form by February 15. Awards will be distributed at Episerver Ascend USA 2018 in Las Vegas on March 14.

About Episerver
Episerver connects digital commerce and digital marketing to help organizations create unique digital experiences for their customers, with measurable business results. The Episerver Digital Experience Cloud™ combines content, commerce, multi-channel marketing, and predictive analytics in a single platform to work full-circle for businesses online – from intelligent real-time personalization and lead-generation through to conversion and repeat business – with unprecedented ease-of-use. Sitting at the center of the digital experience ecosystem, Episerver empowers digital leaders to embrace disruptive, transformational strategies to deliver standout experiences for their customers – everywhere they engage. Founded in 1994, Episerver has offices in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK, USA and Vietnam. For more information, visit www.episerver.com.

Rachel Teitt
Director, Analyst and Public Relations
+1 614 817 1847
rachel.teitt@episerver.com

Jennifer Mulligan
Senior Account Executive
+1 312 648 6005
jennifer.mulligan@walkersands.com

SOURCE Episerver