(((((((((((((((((( OPTIMIZATION WEEK NEWSLETTER ))))))))))))))))))
                      Issue #95, May 1, 2008

http://www.optimizationweek.com/
http://www.optimizationweek.com/issues/95/

We're pleased to announce our new book on Website Optimization
from O'Reilly Media. Years in the making, this book shows how
search engine marketing, conversion rate optimization, and web
performance tuning can be combined to boost the ROI of your website.
Below you'll find the new companion site for the book, with more on
the way. In the coming weeks we'll be highlighting key techniques
and trends from the book on WebSiteOptimization.com. In our first
installment we show how the average web page has grown in size and
complexity over the years, tripling in size since 2003 and nearly
doubling in the number of objects. Finally, we quantify the effect
of being Slashdotted.

1. NEW BOOK:    Website Optimization Secrets
2. SPEED TWEAK: Average Web Page Size Triples Since 2003
3. FEATURE:     Quantifying the Slashdot Effect

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. NEW BOOK: Website Optimization Secrets

Announcing our new book, Website Optimization: Speed, Search Engine,
& Conversion Rate Secrets, the definitive guide to optimizing web
sites. With this book you'll learn best practice search engine
marketing, conversion rate optimization, and web performance tuning
techniques to fully optimize your website. The results are higher
search engine rankings and more engaged users. The book closes with
a web metrics chapter that is sure to knock upper management off
their charts.

http://www.websiteoptimization.com/secrets/

Topics covered include:

Search engine optimization
   addressing best (and worst) practices to improve search engine
   visibility, including step-by-step keyword optimization guidelines,
   category and tag cloud creation, and guerilla PR techniques to boost
   inbound links and improve rankings.

Pay-per-click optimization
   including ad copywriting guidelines, setting profit-driven goals,
   calculating and optimizing bids, landing page optimization, and
   campaign management tips.

Conversion rate optimization
   increasing leads with site landing page guidelines, such as
   benefit-oriented copy, credibility-based design, value
   hierarchies, and tips on creating unique selling propositions
   and slogans.

Web performance tuning
   optimizing ways to use (X)HTML, CSS, and Ajax to increase speed
   and reliability, and reduce your download footprint. Includes
   multimedia optimization tips to shrink videos.

Advanced web performance tuning
   including client-side techniques such as on-demand content,
   progressive enhancement, and inline images to save HTTP requests.
   Server-side tips include improving parallelism, using cache
   control, browser sniffing, HTTP compression, and URL rewriting
   to remap links and preserve traffic.

Web metrics
   illustrating the best metrics and tools to gather details about
   visitors and measure web conversion and success rates. Covers
   both search marketing metrics and web performance measures
   including Pathloss and waterfall graphs.

Website Optimization not only provides you with a strategy for
success, it also offers specific techniques for you and your staff
to adopt. A profitable website needs to be current, well designed,
highly responsive, and optimally persuasive if you are to attract
prospects, convert them to buyers, and get them to come back for
more. This book describes precisely what you need to accomplish to
achieve all of those goals.

So what are you waiting for? Pre-order your copy of Website
Optimization Secrets book today.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596515081/ref=nosim/websiteoptimi-20/
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596515089/

By Andrew B. King
O'Reilly Media, $39.99
Pages: ~400
ISBN: 0596515081
ISBN 13: 9780596515089
UPC: 636920515081
EAN: 9780596515089
Due: July 15, 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. SPEED TWEAK: Average Web Page Size Triples Since 2003

Within the last five years, the size of the average web page has
more than tripled, and the number of external objects has nearly
doubled. While broadband users have experienced somewhat faster
response times, dial-up users have been left behind. This article
shows trends in the average web page for size, number of objects,
composition, and web video growth over time.

http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/tweak/average-web-page/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. FEATURE: Quantifying the Slashdot Effect

We were fortunate enough to be Slashdotted this week for our
Average Web Page story. What is it like to be Slashdotted one
reader wrote? We checked our logs, and our unique visitors spiked
by a factor of 2.4 on Monday and by 1.5 on Tuesday over our average.
Our page views went up by 2.6 times on Monday and 2.4 times over
our average on Tuesday, as the story cycled off Slashdot's home
page.

bttp://www.optimizationweek.com/issues/95/


If you've got an idea for a speed review or tip we want to hear
from you. If you've found a site that you find particularly fast
or slow let us know about it and it might appear in a future issue.

Andy King
Managing Editor
OptimizationWeek.com
aking at optimizationweek dot com




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