Surge In Traffic To News Sites On Outbreak Of War
Online news sites are experiencing a surge in traffic as internet users attempt to keep up with the unfolding war against Iraq.
According to the latest research from Hitwise, visits to news and media sites have increased by 6% in the past week. News websites such as FT.com and BBC News experienced a huge surge in traffic, as news of the first attacks on Iraq broke.
The figures show that BBC News was the UK’s most visited website on Wednesday with a 4.69% share of the total online audience. According to Hitwise, the BBC has increased its market share of the news and media category by 48% in the last week.
Guardian Unlimited proved to be the most popular print news site, with a 7.26% market share, followed by the FT.com, with a 5.17% market share. However, in an area dominated by broadsheet-related sites, the Sun beat-off competition from the Times and the Telegraph to become the third most popular print news site, with a 3.05% market share.
Commentators have noted that the war with Iraq may provide the first major opportunity for internet news delivery to play the most prominent role in providing people with up to date information.
The internet is also providing a vital point for people to express their views on the conflict and the Stop The War Coalition website, www.stopwar.org.uk, has experienced a 300% increase in market share and risen by over 700 Hitwise rankings in the past few days.
Simon Chamberlain, general manager of Hitwise UK, commented “The dramatic increase in traffic to www.stopwar.org.uk shows that British internet users are really viewing the internet as a community, an effective way for supporters from all over the UK to come together online and unite for the same cause. Since the first demonstration took place in February,
The increased demand for access to internet news sites on Wednesday slowed download times across many services. According to figures from Keynote Systems, downloading times on BBC News slowed from 0.47 to 1.88 seconds yesterday lunchtime. The BBC’s online service does not suffer from the added pressure of banner ads and pop-ups which can further delay download times.
Following the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US, CNN.com removed online ads to facilitate faster downloads, and similar moves are expected during the current conflict. Television advertising may also be disrupted by the conflict as editorial demands take precedence over schedules and news bulletins are extended to cover the unfolding crisis (see Advertisers Braced For Disruption As War Arrives).
Hitwise: 020 7378 3600 www.hitwise.co.uk
Recent Research Stories from NewsLine Sponsorship Outperforms Traditional Online Advertising Limited Growth Forecast For iDTV MediaDNA Unveils First Media Neutral Planning Tool
Subscribers can access ten years of NewsLine articles by clicking the Search button to the left