Bistro closing is top story

Wednesday, Sept. 10 was a below-average day with 26,241 unique visitors and 180,810 page views.

Laura Dolce did a great job breaking news between print cycles with the story about the Bistro closing in Kennebunk and this wound up being our top story.

Best of Beachcomber gallery still generating nearly 30,000 page views.


Top stories

1. Article: Bistro to close following months of neighbors' concerns 2,921
2. Article: Police charge woman with shoplifting soda 2,303
3. Article: Police: Man flees 'like a gazelle' after domestic dispute 1,585
4. Article: Victim's daughter testifies in capital murder case 1,572
5. Article: Judge sets high bail for ex-teacher's 'drug related thefts' 1,267 6. Article: Maine store's ape found in Vermont 1,114 7. Article: Portsmouth police log 937
8. Article: Teen head-butts cruiser, ordered to pay for dent repair 751
9. Article: Police seize 104 pot plants at Kensington home 662
10. Article: Reduction of power station energizes neighbors 586

Top Photo Galleries

1. Flash Gallery: Hampton Beachcomber Summer 2008 29,891
2. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Sep 1-7 678
3. Flash Gallery: Jumper Classic 552
4. Flash Gallery: Exeter vs. Nashua South Football 360
5. Flash Gallery: EHS vs. Pinkerton Field Hockey 351
6. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 317
7. Flash Gallery: Center for Wildlife open house 154
8. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 18-24 144 9. Flash Gallery: Caring for Elite Equine Athletes 144
10. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 136

Good news stories drive traffic

Tuesday, Sept. 9 was solid with 32,501 uniques and 217,813 page views.

Nice to see top two stories were good news: found engagement ring (4,249) and found ape (3,719).

Best of Beachcomber photo gallery continues to be good news with 41,648 page views.

Top Stories:

1. Article: Lost and found: Engagement ring returned 4,249
2. Article: Maine store's ape found in Vermont 3,719
3. Article: Millionaire murder trial: Evidence allegedly left in New Castle 2,760
4. Article: Former USCG member arraigned 1,829
5. Article: Hornets found locally in giant nest may be of 'very aggressive' variety 1,485
6. Article: Affidavit: Roommate told burglary suspects where to find cash at diner 940
7. Article: Entertain Kisses and disses: Did you enjoy reading that article while you cut me off? 790
8. Article: Portsmouth police log 741
9. Article: Granite Ghost ale nixed by feds 731
10. Article: N.H. woman dies after being struck by car 611

Top Galleries

1. Flash Gallery: Hampton Beachcomber Summer 2008 41,648
2. Flash Gallery: Jumper Classic 1,993
3. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Sep 1-7 1,627
4. Flash Gallery: EHS vs. Pinkerton Field Hockey 1,075
5. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 458
6. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 334
7. Flash Gallery: Tall Ships Arrive in Portsmouth 217
8. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #3 211
9. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #6 189
10. Flash Gallery: Exeter vs. Nashua South Football 185

VMAs are top story

Monday Sept. 8 brought 29,455 uniques and a whopping 225,582 page views thanks to the Best of the Beachcomber photo gallery that accounted for 55,252 page views.

TV writer Amanda Hamilton (a former intern now receiving assignments from Gina Carbone) provided the top story yesterday with her review of the MTV video music awards.

A number of our e-mail lists are about to reach milestones: Our breaking news e-mail is about to hit 500 subscribers while the Exeter News Letter and York County Coast Star are continuing their quest to reach 1,000 subscribers each. The News-Letter has 968 subscribers while the Coast Star has 962.

Top stories for Sept. 8

1. Article: Entertain VMAs recap: Welcome back, Britney. Now get out, Russell Brand 2,885
2. Article: Butt-free: N.H. restaurateurs say smoking ban has created new problems 1,584
3. Article: Portsmouth police log 1,541
4. Article: Police say armed man robbed city restaurant 1,330
5. Article: Hospital security guard shot to death in Maine 1,218 6. Article: Local kids land N.H. name for submarine 1,141 7. Article: Granite Ghost ale nixed by feds 1,100% 8. Article: Lost and found: Engagement ring returned 923
9. Article: Portsmouth police Log 892
10. Article: Fire department responds to 'surfers in distress' 839

Top photo galleries for Sept. 8

1. Flash Gallery: Hampton Beachcomber Summer 2008 55,252
2. Flash Gallery: Jumper Classic 3,333
3. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Sep 1-7 1,160
4. Flash Gallery: Exeter vs. Nashua South Football 811 5. Flash Gallery: Center for Wildlife open house 568 6. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 446% 7. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 359 8. Flash Gallery: Labor Day Weekend 304
9. Flash Gallery: Caring for Elite Equine Athletes 245
10. Flash Gallery: EHS vs. Pinkerton Field Hockey 185

Best of Beachcomber nets 60,000 page views Saturday

Good traffic Friday, Sept. 5 with 29,478 uniques and 159,871 page views.

Saturday's uniques were down to 19,703 but page views were up at 171,871 thanks to the best of Hampton Beachcomber 2008 photo gallery which had nearly 60,000 page views and the Jumper Classic gallery that had 10,000 page views.

The site was down for half the day Sunday so that day's traffic isn't worth talking about.

Here are the top stories and galleries for Friday and Saturday.

Top stories Friday, Sept. 5

1. Article: 5 reprimanded for using Taser during party 5,623
2. Article: Affidavit: Man fatally stabbed after refusing offer of cash fororal sex 2,475
3. Article: Details emerge in York killing 1,938
4. Article: York teen accused of drunk driving, striking pedestrians inOgunquit 1,658
5. Article: Man found in Rollinsford river identified 1,148
6. Article: Entertain First transgender contestant a bullied bombshell on‘America’s Next Top Model' 1,010
7. Article: Seafood Festival kicks off today 743
8. Article: Opinion Letters to the editor 739
9. Article: Portsmouth police log 699
10. Article: Hurricane Hanna expected to do damage along I-95 681

Top photo galleries Friday, Sept. 5

1. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 5,049
2. Flash Gallery: Caring for Elite Equine Athletes 3,593
3. Flash Gallery: Jumper Classic 1,053 4. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 1,025
5. Flash Gallery: Hampton Beachcomber Summer 2008 779 6. Article: Photo Zoom: First transgender contestant a bullied bombshell on‘America’s Next Top Model' 547
7. Flash Gallery: Opening Day of Football Practice 441
8. Flash Gallery: Labor Day Weekend 405
9. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #3 354
10. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #4 275

Top stories Saturday, Sept. 6:

1. Article: Seven arrested at latest DWI roadblock; 260 stopped 2,528
2. Article: $100K fire breaks out during York family dinner 2,220
3. Article: 5 reprimanded for using Taser during party 1,262
4. Article: Maine drowning victim identified 828
5. Article: Smuttynose owner goes bald to fight cancer 630
6. Article: NH babysitter car crash sentence shortened 582
7. Article: Portsmouth police log 539
8. Article: Sports Portsmouth football rolls to 35-6 win in opener 461
9. Article: NH man gets extended term for threatening judge 434 10. Article: Entertain 'Twilight' fans out for blood after 'Midnight Sun' leakputs book on hold

Top Galleries Saturday, Sept. 6

1. Flash Gallery: Hampton Beachcomber Summer 2008 59,390
2. Flash Gallery: Jumper Classic 10,133
3. Flash Gallery: Caring for Elite Equine Athletes 1,217
4. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 316
5. Flash Gallery: Winnacunnet Prom 2008 303
6. Flash Gallery: Tall Ships Arrive in Portsmouth 259
7. Flash Gallery: Seacoast Jr. Football Jamboree 201
8. Flash Gallery: Miss Hampton Beach 2008 167
9. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 151
10. Flash Gallery: Labor Day Weekend 118

31,028 uniques

Solid day Wednesday, Sept. 3 with 31,028 uniques and 166,134 page views. I didn't get my usual traffic report so I just pulled the top 10 content items from Omniture.

Photos of the week continue to kick butt with 6,769 page views. Top story was about an 8-foot mechanical ape stolen from Maine store. For more details see http://seacoastonlinenews.blogspot.com

1. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 6,769
2. Article: 8-foot mechanical ape stolen from Maine store 3,925
3. Article: York man charged in murder 2,557
4. Flash Gallery: Exeter vs. BG Boys Soccer 2,278
5. Article: Man ditches burning pants, leaves scene in York 1,554
6. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 1,262
7. Article: Decomposing body found in Salmon Falls River 1,249
8. Article: Body found in river 1,151 9. Article: Entertain 90210-dear, is this really all you have? Yawn 1,029
10. Article: York man arraigned on murder charge 819

Breaking news top 10

Tuesday, Sept. 2 was a strong day with 30,529 uniques and 188,489 page views.
Top stories were "Two restaurants face alcohol penalties" (3,542) and "York man charged with murder." (2,464).


Top gallery was "Photos of the Week Aug 25-31" (12,156)

Click here to check out the excellent photo sales page Andrew Moore designed to boost our photo reprints. Now Maribeth Girard will step up marketing efforts on photo reprints.

Thanks to all who participated in the breaking news incentive program.

Top 10 breakers of news between print cycles were:

1. Christine French: 159 (bus routes, tons of community news and parenting).
2. Beth Dinan: 88 (cops, courts and odd news)
3. Shir Haberman: 80 (Business, Kittery, Politics)
4. Gina Carbone: 57 (arts, entertainment, movie reviews and reality television)
5. Michael McCord: 57 (posts to political blog and Election 2008 page)
6. Adam Leech: 54 (Portsmouth news)
7. Ed Flaherty: 50 (Sports)
8. Karen Dandurant: 48 (Town and general assignment news)
9. Frank Coppola: 45 (Sports blog, breaking sports news)
10. Jim Kanak: 32 (Our top weekly reporter breaking news out of Wells and other Coast Star communities ... and Herb Hoffman).

Sept. 2 top stories:

1. Article: Two restaurants face alcohol penalties 3,542
2. Article: York man charged with murder 2,464
3. Article: More women report rapes in online dating scam 2,369
4. Article: NH woman killed in head-on crash 2,290
5. Article: Tourists receive farewell fanfare at York tolls 2,197
6. Article: Police stop suicide attempt on city bridge 1,987
7. Article: Police interviewing 'person of interest' in York death 1,212
8. Article: Portsmouth police log 1,145
9. Article: Fire damages home; dog rescued 1,058
10. Article: 'Staycationers' salvage season 975

Sept. 2 top photo galleries

1. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 12,156
2. Flash Gallery: Labor Day Weekend 4,526
3. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 2,228
4. Flash Gallery: Tall Ships Arrive in Portsmouth 742
5. Flash Gallery: Aboard the Friendship 639
6. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 18-24 598
7. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #3 421
8. Flash Gallery: Seacoast Jr. Football Jamboree 398
9. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #6 390
10. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #4 370

Turn in your breaking news incentive sheets

We finished August 861,755 unique visitors, an increase of 29 percent year over year. Our daily average was 27,798.

September got off to a slow start with the Labor Day holiday with just 19,066 uniques on Sept. 1. Let's really focus on breaking news today and get our numbers back on track.

Please remember to turn in your breaking news incentive sheets to me so that I can pay your bonus money. Bonuses will be in your Sept. 17 paycheck. Once all the sheets are in I'll share a tally of how we did compared to last month.

For those of you who haven't heard, Ottaway's online audience development leader Sean Polay has returned to the company and will hold his first conference call with online editors today. Editor and Publisher reported in July that Ottaway has the fastest growing web audience in the country: Click here to see story Sean gets the lion's share of the credit for what our newsrooms are doing online and it will be good to have him as a partner as we look to continue growing audience in the months ahead.

Not many highlights in yesterday's numbers: Beachcomber #7 photo gallery continues to do well but other than that a slow day all around.

Top stories:

1. Article: Police stop suicide attempt on city bridge 1,996
2. Article: Crash sends four to hospital 1,855
3. Article: NH woman killed in head-on crash 1,713
4. Article: Portsmouth police log 1,621
5. Article: Local man arrested after high-speed chase 1,021
6. Article: Entertain Angry fans put 'Mad Men' in dog house forabandoned Chauncey 812
7. Article: N.H. drivers with E-ZPass violations get pass 720
8. Article: Entertain 'Twilight' fans out for blood after 'Midnight Sun' leakputs book on hold 612 9. Article: Opinion Letters to the Editor 474
10. Article: Tourists receive farewell fanfare at York tolls 468

Top photo galleries

1. Flash Gallery: Best of Beachcomber 7 7,831
2. Flash Gallery: Photos of the Week Aug 25-31 5,616
3. Flash Gallery: Labor Day Weekend 2,032
4. Flash Gallery: Tall Ships Arrive in Portsmouth 1,512
5. Flash Gallery: Aboard the Friendship 1,401
6. Flash Gallery: Seacoast Jr. Football Jamboree 1,041
7. Flash Gallery: Ship Tours Portsmouth 2008 486
8. Flash Gallery: Hampton Beach Idol 2008 466
9. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #3 428
10. Flash Gallery: Best of Hampton Beachcomber #4 291