This past week (April 16-20) gave me the opportunity to sit down with a couple of our closest clients and really roll up my sleeves and help them analyze their  websites.  At the beginning of the week, UNLVTickets.com, a leader in Las Vegas Entertainment and ticketing, made some significant moves with their web analytics and integration with a key third-party vendor, Paciolan.  UNLVTickets.com uses LoadStats Enterprise specifically to track the success of online campaigns in their local market while also using this same data to identify trends in online purchasing for specific Las Vegas events.  With the help of Paciolan, all e-commerce tracking was put in place and now the marketing staff and events coordinators have the key information needed to optimize marketing efforts and increase online sales.  This all probably sounds a little too technical and a lot like marketing speak, so I'll summarize this by saying that UNLVTickets.com has the online information they've been looking for to justify their Web presence.

Later in the week, Adam Rogas and I had a follow-up meeting with ReviewJournal.com ("The RJ") who also subscribes to the LoadStats service.  Currently, The RJ utilizes the LoadStats service as a means to identify traffic patterns in real-time for specific news-related stories.  As a traditional offline publication making a significant effort to deliver content on the Web and generate revenue through online ad sales, LoadStats enables The RJ to accurately forecast page views, unique visitors, and identify discrepancies in other third-party reporting data.  The meeting was a success and I can happily say that in the near future, we look forward to helping The RJ tackle their search engine optimization (SEO) challenges head on.

Great Hats, T-Shirts and More. C'mon, You Know You Want It...
The highly anticipated -- at least by me -- section of Load.com is the LoadGear section. We're planning on selling our infamous "Get Loaded." t-shirts along with our mesh fitted ballcaps, sweatshirts, long sleeve t's, polos, and more.  We've also had numerous requests for different types of "LOAD" gear including shot glasses (maybe), boxers (hmmm), workout gear (already in production), and baby t's for the ladies (gotta do that).  So, keep an eye out for the LoadGear store Coming Soon.  In the meantime, if you're interested in a t-shirt or a hat, give us a call at 702.898.1234 and we'll hook you up.

The Best Shave In The World
I want to share an experience I had this weekend at a wonderful place for men (and the 1998 Chinese Women's Swim Team) called The Art of Shaving.  After reading about this place a couple of years ago in either Maxim or Men's Health, I finally got all the men in my family (myself, my two brothers, and my father) to check this place out.  Now, I must admit, the thought of a person taking a blade to my neck while I laid back with a hot towel over my face reminded me of the Godfather movies when mobsters were getting picked off in the barber's chair.  Fortunately, I didn't yet have that to worry about.  As a matter of fact, the professionals at The Art of Shaving made sure I didn't worry about anything.  I ordered the "Royal Shave" which basically meant I got spoiled big time. The mix of warm shaving cream, hot and cold towels, facial clay, and facial mask felt like heaven on my face.  And rest assured, my skin was as smooth as a baby's bottom when it was all said and done.  All-in-all, this moment of pure joy lasted about 50 minutes.  Without a doubt, The Art of Shaving is a refuge for men who aren't secure enough to get a pedicure or manicure, but secretly want to be pampered like the ladies.  So, if you're looking for a Father's Day Gift, you can't go wrong.  And if you're in Vegas and you want to feel like a big shot, go to Mandalay Bay and look this place up.

The Week in Sports and Other Random Thoughts...
And finally, we're at that point in the blog that only true friends (and my Mom) probably really read.  The NBA Playoffs started and I didn't bother watching.  The 1st round of the playoffs is brutal.  What used to be a 5-game series is now 7 games, which makes the playoffs drag on forever.  So, I'll revisit this when we get to the Conference Finals.

The NFL Draft is next week and let me say that there is NO WAY possible that I can say anything you haven't already heard about the draft if you follow football or watch ESPN.  You know ESPN is truly aware of where their money comes from when they discuss the NFL all year long.  I'm not complaining because we do work for 4 NFL teams with a couple more on the way.  All I know is that I care how the draft will impact my fantasy rosters, so I'll be looking for sleeper rookies in the draft.

The NHL makes me sad.  I don't watch hockey (and apparently neither do you), but I do like watching Sidney Crosby highlights -- that guy is just awesome.  However, unless the NHL can convince viewers in the USA that hockey is at risk of extinction like the manatee, I'm afraid this sport is going belly-up.  I hope I'm wrong, but if ESPN is the gauge, I don't think the dwindling number of minutes spent on hockey highlights and news stories is a good thing.  Clearly this league needs some of their star players to get arrested in Vegas in order to get some love.

To close out this week's entry, let's have a quick run-down on sports events:

• Red Sox beat Yankees after Mariano Rivera blows a save opportunity for the 2nd time in 15 games.  OUCH!  Looks like he's lost the ability to throw the fast ball by guys.  Gonna be a long year for this Hall of Fame closer.
• A-Rod continues to make me look like an idiot for saying he won't lead the league in HRs.  As of today he has 12 in 16 games.
• Bonds goes yard again for #739.  He looks healthy and looks pretty darn good.  HAH!  Take that Skip Bayless.
• If the Red Sox fail to score runs in tomorrow's match-up, we'll finally know that the direct English translation for Daisuke Matsuzaka is Greg Maddux.
• NFL Draft hopefuls admit to smoking marijuana and will probably still go in the first round.  Gotta love honesty.  I bet if all of us go into job interviews and tell our potential bosses that we did "blow" in college, we'd get the job, too.  Goes to show you can't teach 4.3 40yd dash or 6'5" and 42" vertical.
• Mark Buerhle throws No-No versus Rangers.  If you've seen this guy pitch in the past, you know that's a big deal.

Okay, that about does it.  I just realized that my sports rant is longer than Load.com related stuff.  What can I say?  Get me talkin' sports and I'm like an attorney charging by the half-hour.  Hope this next week is a great one for you and if you need anything relating to your Load services, give us a shout.