Research conducted by consumer consultancy, the Henley Centre, highlighted that whilst the internet is becoming part of daily lives, most people still preferred talking to customer advisers rather than requesting answers to their questions using a website.

41% of people surveyed use the internet daily, 23% would find their answers to customer enquiries using the web and around 50% preferred talking directly with a customer adviser.

81% of internet users now go specifically for information on the internet, they do not spend so much time browsing.

The message which comes across clearly to dot.coms, is that people want simplicity when visiting websites and easy to use navigation.

Whilst the PC remains the most popular form of access to the internet, interactive TV is becoming more used for accessing information online, with around 60% of digital TV users having used the system and around one in five having purchased something through their TV.