The Sun and Telegraph were the only national newspaper web sites to post month-on-month unique user increases in August, according to ABCe figures released today.
Year-on-year web traffic growth slowed in August at most national newspaper websites, although the Telegraph and Guardian also bucked this trend.
Guardian Unlimited remained Britain’s largest newspaper website, despite slipping 1.48 per cent from July to 15.82 million unique users. The site has increased its monthly unique users by 26.35 per cent since August 2006.
Following its impressive debut ABCe figure last month, Mail Online slipped slightly in August, dropping 2.36 per cent month on month to 11.59 million unique users.
Its massive 150 cent year-on-year growth in July was cut to 75 per cent, but it remained Britain’s fastest-growing newspaper website, and the second most widely-read.
Telegraph.co.uk also posted an impressive 64 per cent annual growth figure, increasing its monthly unique users to 9.77 million, an 8.65 per cent increase over July.
The Sun Online was up 12.28 per cent to 10.59 million unique users, a 37 per cent year-on-year increase. Earlier this month, the site revealed this as its unaudited internal figure, which has now been confirmed.
Times Online also dipped slightly in August, to 10.24 million unique users. Its annual growth has also slowed to 14 per cent, follwing increases over 23 per cent in June and July.
Earlier this month, the Times and Telegraph published dualling front-page graphs boasting about their combined print and online reach.
The Times focused on is full-rate print sales in August and Times Online’s monthly unique users in July. The Telegraph, meanwhile, highlighted its total print circulation in August and its website’s page impressions in July. Both Times Online and Telegraph.co.uk increased their total page impressions in August.
The Times has for the first time released its geographical breakdown for web traffic. The News International title says 37.05 per cent of its web users are based in the UK, a total of 3.79 million UK users a month. However, UK users account for 57.34 per cent of Times Online’s page imperssions in August.
The Times’ stablemate The Sun reported 45 per cent of its traffic (4.76m unique users) came from UK users. The Mail Online reported that 25 per cent of its traffic (2.93m unique users) was from domestic users
The Mirror, Express, FT web sites do not regularly publish their ABCe data. The Independent is planning to begin publishing its figures in the future.
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