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Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization

News

Blogger nation: Web revolution changes how we communicate
Sofia Kosmetatos of The Detroit News interviews local bloggers including Andy King of Website Optimization, LLC. August 24, 2006.
Tech Firms eye Google
Google’s new Ann Arbor, Michigan office has tech firms buzzing. Ann Arbor News interviews local techies including Andrew King of WSO. July 16, 2006
Korean translation
of Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization, is now available. May 27, 2005
America Online, Inc.
Landed as a new client (speed analysis, license) in May 2005
Czech Translation
of Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization, is now available. Feb. 4, 2005
Time Warner
Landed as new client (speed analysis, license) in January 2005.
Telephony Online
Mentioned the Bandwidth Report and Andy King in a story about broadband trends in “Broadband penetration nearing 50% of active Internet users.” May 20, 2004
Entrepreneur Magazine
Mentioned WebSiteOptimization.com in their April 2004 issue. Mar. 24, 2004
Meryl picks
Speed Up Your Site as her favorite nonfiction book of 2003. Feb. 14, 2004
Business Direct Weekly
Ran a story on Andy King titled “Web guru feels the need for web-page speed” in the Jan. 8-14, 2004 issue. By Brian Hamilton.
Shops Can Get Crowded Online, Too
The Washington Post quoted Andy King about an article on slow online shopping sites, by Leslie Walker on Dec. 18, 2003, p. E01.
Greg Michetti
Picks up the Bandwidth Report. Dec. 1, 2003.
Web site critic says it’s all about speed, accessibility
“Andy King’s name is enough to strike terror into the heart of the toughest corporate IT executive. Just as restaurant, movie and theater reviewers often influence the reputation and impact of the things they critique, King wields a big club in his chosen field. He’s a Web site critic.” Mike Wendland, Detroit Free Press, Dec. 1, 2003.
Sluggish sites still dominate Web world
“Andy King’s business is making Web sites work better – faster, easier to navigate, less frustrating to use. The Ann Arbor entrepreneur recently analyzed Web sites run by candidates in the 2004 presidential race, and he found some surprises. ‘I knew they’d be overweight’ King says, referring to the size of the files, which makes downloading sluggish. ‘But I didn’t think they’d be that fat.'” Mary Morgan, Ann Arbor News, 30 November 2003.
November Bandwidth Report – US Broadband Penetration at 40.9%, Broadband Use Tracks Household Income
In wired US homes, broadband penetration jumped to 40.9% in October, up from 40% in September 2003. 59.1% of US home users connect to the Internet with narrowband connections of 56Kbps or less. Cable dominates DSL in the US, while DSL dominates cable worldwide. Nov. 24, 2003
Informit’s Web Design Guide
recommends Speed Up Your Site. “The best resource for optimization, hands down, is Andrew King’s Speed up Your Site. It belongs on every Web designer’s desk as there is no other resource with more optimization advice in one spot.” Nov. 2003
Polish Translation
A polish translation of Speed Up Your Site titled “Optymalizacja serwisow internetowych” (ISBN: 83-7361-134-7) is now available from helion.pl. Nov. 2003
Optimization Week Magazine launches
Our first article Home Depot Needs Home Page Improvement reviews HomeDepot.com for performance and accessibility. Nov. 4, 2003
Announcing Speed Tweak of the Week
Each week we’ll offer a discrete speed tweak you can use to speed up your site. Nov. 4, 2003
October Bandwidth Report – US Broadband Breaks 40%, British Telecom Splits the Difference
In US homes, broadband penetration reached 40% for the first time in September. In Britain, the practice of splitting phone lines is frustrating dial-up users. Oct. 23, 2003
Spanish translation
of Speed is now available from Anaya Multimedia of Madrid, ISBN: 84-415-1579-4. Sep. 26, 2003
Recommended books
Some optimization-related books that we recommend. Sep. 4, 2003
PC Magazine
Andy King was quoted in a feature titled “Find the Best Broadband ISPs” in the September 16, 2003 issue of PC Magazine (pp. 102-111). The Bandwidth Report’s broadband figures were cited in this review of major broadband and dialup providers. Aug. 30, 2003
September Bandwidth Report
US Broadband Penetration Now at 38.9%, Iceland Gives Net Warm Reception. 61.1% of wired US users have narrowband connections. Iceland leads all countries in Internet usage. Sep. 22, 2003
SpeedUpYourSite.com
now points to the book site. Sep. 9, 2003
Web Page Analyzer is back
and better than ever. We’ve moved to a new server and upgraded our popular analyzer script with your suggestions. New features include compression detection, CSS imports and alternate stylesheets, background images, link tag support, and more accurate download speeds. Aug. 29, 2003
August Bandwidth Report – US Broadband Jumps to 37.8%, Australia Breaks 15%
Over 15% of wired Australians have broadband. Aug. 20, 2003
WKAR radio
Andy King was interviewed on WKAR in East Lansing, Michigan on Aug. 12, 2003. Thanks Rich.
Buy a French translation of my book
Titled Optimisation de sites Web. July 31, 2003
July Bandwidth Report – Cable Trumps DSL, US Broadband Jumps to 36.7%
Cable has from 67 to 105% more subscribers than DSL, according to two recent surveys. July 21, 2003
Computer America Interview
Andy King was interviewed on Craig Crossman’s “Computer America” radio show at 10:30 PM July 21, 2003.
The Guardian Unlimited
picked up the banner campaign on July 17, 2003.
The Internet TourBus
picked up our Speed Up The Web campaign on Tuesday. Thanks for the ride Patrick. – July 8, 2003
e-Trend.de
“I have read a lot of good and interesting books about usability, search engine optimization, web programming etc., but i was really impressed when reading your book – a great compilation covering all these topics, comprehensively written and with substantial examples. The best technical book I have read so far.” – Gerald Steffens, email to author July 7, 2003
June Bandwidth Report – Korean Broadband Penetration Breaks 70%, US Broadband Growth Lags
Korea has the highest broadband penetration in the world with over 70% of users hooked into their high-speed network. Broadband penetration in the US increased by .42% to 35.9% in May. 64.1% of home users in the US use narrow-band connections of 56Kbps or less. June 26, 2003
A Klog Apart Joins Campaign
Phil Wolf chimes in.
Meryl.net
“It’s a must-have for every designer and webmaster’s library. There isn’t anything out there like it and it’s important because our attention spans are short thanks to information overload.” June 13, 2003
Speed Up the Web Campaign
Help get the road hogs off the information superhighway. Display these free banners to show your support for faster web sites. Participating sites can win a free speed consult and a copy of Speed Up Your Site. June 12, 2003
Speed up your home page in one hour
Internet Magazine ran an “expert help” story in their July 2003 issue that gives some quick tips on speeding up web pages. It includes some quotes from Andy King. By Sean McManus for Internet Magazine, July 2003, p. 272.
May Bandwidth Report – US Broadband Penetration Breaks 35%
Broadband penetration in US homes jumped 1.7% in April. 35% of wired homes in the US enjoy a broadband connection. May 28, 2003.
Optimizing JavaScript for Execution Speed
Excerpt published in the DevNewz newsletter on May 27, 2003.
The Columbus Dispatch Newspaper
Featured a story about Speed Up Your Site in the “Bookshelf” area of the business section in this Columbus Ohio newspaper on Monday, May 19th. “Andrew B. King tells how to design quick-drawing pages in Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization and through a helpful companion site, at www.WebSiteOptimization.com.” By George Myers Jr. on May 19, 2003.
Reuters Cites Bandwidth Report
Reuters ran a story titled “Intel Sees 1.5 Billion PCs with Fast Net by 2010” that cites data from the Bandwidth Report on May 15, 2003.
Interactions
ACM’s “Interactions” magazine mentioned Speed in their May/June 2003 issue (p. 57).
URLwire picks up The Bandwidth Report
Eric Ward chooses The Bandwidth Report for his subscribers. – Apr. 25, 2003
The April Bandwidth Report
US broadband growth slowed in March to 33.8% penetration, while 64% of Canadian users enjoy a broadband connection. – Apr. 22, 2003
Moreover Cool Site
Picked on April 17, 2003
URLWire.com announces WebSiteOptimization.com
Eric Ward announced the book’s companion site on Apr. 16, 2003
Broadband widens
The Detroit Free Press mentioned The Bandwidth Report in the April 11, 2003 issue, by Mike Wendland.
Tips for Authoring Fast-Loading HTML Pages
DevEdge offers ten tips on improving page load performance, by Bob Clary. Apr. 4, 2003
The Business Benefits of Web Standards
I’m quoted in this DevEdge article by Tristan Nitot. Mar. 21, 2003
Stephen Braitman
“…This book actually reads as speedy as its goals in reaching for lean, swift operations. Concise, targeted chapters and paragraphs go right to the source.” – Mar. 2003
Oskar van Rijswijk (Dutch)
“… Speed is one of the most important usability issues. That is why this book can not be missed on the bookshelf of web techies.” – Feb. 26, 2003
George Girton
Another success story from the front lines. George reads the book, and streamlines his employer’s sluggish site. Feb. 22, 2003
George Girton
“There’s a certain type of individual who experiences true elation when a really good book on web design arrives; Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization by Andrew B. King is that book, and I’m that kind of individual…. I love this book!” – George Girton, The Daily Channel, Feb. 20, 2003
Robert Scoble
“This should be the first book Web designers read.” E-mail to author, Feb. 19, 2003
Robert Scoble
“This is an awesome book if you want to learn how to make your website perform faster.” – Robert Scoble, Feb. 16, 2003
Local Consultant Offers New Book on Site Optimization
‘Ann Arbor Web consultant Andrew B. King has a new book out, “Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization.” Reviewers at Amazon.com and elsewhere say the book shows readers why fast response times are important and how to make a site literally pop onto the screen. (The author says users will thank you with lower bail-out rates, and your boss will thank you for the lower bandwidth bills.) … “To me, this is the first user experience book written from a technologist’s perspective,” said Lou Rosenfeld, a veteran usability consultant in Ann Arbor.’ – From the Great Lakes IT Report Newsletter by Matt Roush of CBS, Feb. 6, 2003
Jim Sterne
“I’ve pounded many a podium demanding that Web developers make their pages load as quickly as possible. This is the book that tells how – specifically!” – Jim Sterne, founder of Target Marketing, e-mail to author, Feb. 4, 2003.
Use Paper to Make Your Blog Faster
“My traffic went up when I followed these principles.” – Phil Wolff, Feb. 4, 2003
Jeffrey Zeldman
“Andy King of WebReference.com has released a fine new book. Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization(2003, New Riders, Foreword by Jakob Nielsen) is densely packed with tips and techniques for removing needless bandwidth from your HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and more….” – Jeffrey Zeldman, founder of many fine sites, Feb. 1, 2003

Reviews

A Complete ‘How-To’ Guide For A Pro-Site
“… This book is nothing short of a complete, utterly practical guide to how to build a fast and professional web site…. The impression throughout is that a top-notch web pro has simply sat down at his keyboard and “spilled the beans” (Karl Moore style) on all the intricate and difficult pro tips that will doubtless have taken him half-a-lifetime to acquire…. This is probably the best computer book I have ever bought.” From a reviewer in Norwich England on August 4, 2004
Northeast Book Reviews
“Speed Up Your Site is an essential reference book for all Web design and development teams. The book is packed with plenty of meaty content, code samples, effective case studies, lists of relevant Web sites, and lists of recommended reading material. Web teams may want to buy several copies; the book appeals to so many related disciplines that team members may hide it – or even fight over it.” From an in-depth review of Speed by Eddie VanArsdall. June 26, 2004
Best practical web performance optimization guide available
“Covering a wide variety of techniques, this book describes many of the common causes of slow pages and how to avoid or remedy them. While not specific to load testing, it is a valuable reference for those who have the task of making a site faster.” By Michael Czeiszperger of WebPerformance.com in an Amazon.com review. June 9, 2004
i-com Magazine
“Read it yourself, the time spent in reading will be compensated for yourself and for all your page users!” (in German) by Dr. Hans-Juergen Hoffman. ISSN: 1618-162X, Volume: 3, Issue: January 2004, pp. 46-48.
GUIguy.com
“When I picked up Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization, an amazing thing happened: I was captivated by the content and the style. Amazing! A first! I found myself reading every word and every line of code, lest I miss some gem hidden within the letters…. The book is a delight to read.” Review by Ken Schiff, April 10, 2004.
UserSavvy.com
“I fully enjoyed the latest book by Andrew King. It’s full of tips and tricks for novice and veteran Web designers and developers, any number of which make for useful implementation.” By David Wertheimer, April 9, 2004
DMXZone
“If you’re running a medium to large site, I am convinced that this book will save you time and money; money savings because you’ll pay less bandwidth charges, you’ll have more repeat visitors and so more advertising dollars or online sales. If you’re in this medium to large enterprise, there is nothing I have read that even comes close to this book in authoritativeness.” By Bruce Lawson. Nov. 18, 2003
Evolt
“King’s thoroughly researched book (it’s copious footnotes and references are worth the price of the book alone) does an outstanding job of both providing an overview of web site optimization and outlining specific techniques that will increase your site’s speed. Furthermore, the well organized book is an easy read and King’s use of fun language… makes the book flow even more.” By Andrew Stevens. Nov. 12, 2003
Digital Web Magazine
“After delivering the performance psychology reality check with a swift kick to the keyboard, King supplies a complete superhero’s tool belt of tricks to save the day…. Not only does this book offer a renewed series of best practice principles for creating speedy sites, it is also an excellent source of useful information on site development. By covering so many elements commonly used by contemporary developers, King has created an indispensable reference volume that should be assigned reading in the classroom and studio.” Aug. 15, 2003
JavaRanch
“If you want to make the webpages you create load faster, run, don’t walk, to get Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization.” May 2003.
Practical Web Design: Speed Up Your Site
“If Andy King made Pinewood race cars, he’d make them simple, sleek, aerodynamic, and functional — and his wheels would turn properly. Instead, he makes Websites.” In this in-depth how-to review, Mike Tuck summarizes the HTML optimization techniques described in the book for SitePoint.com, May 2, 2003.
Lockergnome Webmaster Weekly
“Sites of every size and kind will benefit from this complete reference for creating Web sites that are faster than a speeding bullet.” By Meryl Evans, April 25, 2003.
Fast-downloading websites are still important
“Speed Up Your Website is a thorough examination of website optimization techniques.” By Gerry McGovern, April 21, 2003.
First Monday
“Andrew King tackles the number one problem with Web site usability: slow downloads. Every user on the planet has this complaint, even those with broadband. Speed Up Your Site is a cornucopia of nearly 500 pages of techniques for addressing the problem. It should be read by every Web designer…. King’s strong connection to the user is what sets this book apart from other technical manuals…. King is a canny peasant housewife getting her money’s worth at the digital fishmonger’s and a technical cyber-wizard all rolled into one…. The crisp writing is a pleasure to read.” By Bonnie Nardi of Agilent for First Monday, April 7, 2003.
Web Site Optimization review
Mark Pilgrim turns the tables and reviews WebSiteOptimization.com. “The book’s companion site is impressively optimized.” He offers some further optimization suggestions. I offer a response with some behind-the-scenes information. – Mar. 26, 2003

Speed up your knowledge!

“What Andy King doesn’t know about this subject could be written on a postage stamp, from Lilliput…. I highly recommend this book.” By Klyve Dawson, from the first Amazon.co.uk review. Mar. 5, 2003.
Knocked my socks off
“Andy King’s ‘Speed Up Your Site’ absolutely knocked my socks off. There are a squillion Web design books out there, but this one belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Web designer.” Patrick Crispen’s Internet Tour Bus of Mar. 10, 2003
Tips and techniques for improving download times
“This is an excellent book for intermediate to advanced users – people who already have a web site, but who want to make it more efficient.” Roy Johnson of Mantex Information Design. Feb. 22, 2003
A Fantastic Resource for Designers and Marketers Alike
“King has written a masterpiece…. I read this book, I loved this book, it was easy to read, and I have already sent copies to friends in the industry. It is that valuable. I recommend this book and I encourage you to own it — you will not be disappointed. It is, hands down, the best book I have read on building or redesigning a web site.” Fredrick Marckini, founder and CEO of iProspect.com. From an Amazon.com review. Feb. 19, 2003
Fantastic and very useful. I actually read the whole thing.
Bruce Morris, founder of the Web Developer’s Journal. From the fourth Amazon.com review. Feb. 5, 2003
Definitely a Definitive Guide on Site Optimization
“This book is a gold mine. With its awesome amount of coding optimization techniques and examples, I am sure that I can double the speed of my web sites.” – Jim and Liann, from the third Amazon.com review. Feb. 4, 2003.
Book on a critical but often overlooked issue
“King’s book focuses on an overlooked but critical aspect of website usability: response time. I think it’s often overlooked by developers because they tend to have fast machines and fast connections, but even if individual response time is not a concern, the techniques discussed in the book could save money by requiring fewer servers and lower bandwidth requirements….” – Gary Perlman from the second Amazon review – Jan. 27, 2003
Wizard for the Black Arts
“…The author has gathered more knowledge on the subject than I have ever seen in one place anywhere. Real examples and authorities are cited to take the suggestions beyond the realm of personal opinion. This is a most satisfactory and valuable book.” – Brett Merkey from the first Amazon review – Jan. 27, 2003

Interviews

PC Talk Radio
Rich Levin interviews Andy King on the secrets of web site optimization (audio of June 8, 2004 interview). June 25, 2004
WebTalkGuys.com
Interview Andy King on presidential homepage speed and accessibility. Nov. 15, 2003
WebTalkGuys.com
Interview Andy King on broadband speed trends and the importance of fast-loading pages. See also The Future of Broadband for a partial transcript. Nov. 1, 2003
WKAR radio
Interviewed Andy King in East Lansing, Michigan on Aug. 12, 2003. Thanks Rich.
Computer America Interview
Andy King was interviewed on Craig Crossman’s “Computer America” radio show at 10:30 PM July 21, 2003.
Digital Web Magazine
Craig Saila interviewed me for Digital Web Magazine on web page optimization, speed and usability, and more. – May 15, 2003
Sean.co.uk
Sean McManus interviewed me on web site optimization and its effects – Mar. 19, 2003
Holovaty.com
Adrian Holovaty interviewed me about optimizing news sites – Mar. 10, 2003
WebWord.com
The threaded version of their book lottery interview of Feb. 5-8, 2003.
The Internet Advisor
WJR radio on Saturday Feb. 1, 2003 from 8 to 10 p.m. EST. Hosted by Gary Baker and Foster Braun.

Advanced Press

“This book should be mandatory reading for all web designers and Internet executives.” – Jakob Nielsen

“In a world where time is money, speed is king. Andy King combines an impressive blend of scholarly research with practical tips to create the definitive guide to web site optimization. Buy it, read it, use it. Fast!” – Peter Morville.

“At last, a user experience book written from a technical perspective.” – Lou Rosenfeld

Book Cover Images

Author Images