Benchmarking UK Banks' Sales Sites, 2010

Forrester evaluated the Web sites of the 10 largest UK retail banking brands — Barclays, Halifax, HSBC, first direct, Lloyds TSB, Nationwide, NatWest, Santander, The Co-operative Bank, and Yorkshire Bank — using our Web Site Functionality Benchmark methodology. The Co-operative Bank tops our review because it supports users who want to research and buy a current account in all phases of the customer journey. Highlights on The Co-operative Bank's Web site are effective campaigns; a promotion of 15 reasons to join the bank; and a good mix of sales-oriented, informative, and educational product content, as well as helpful post-application information both online and via email. No other bank scores well across the board. Many are strong in attracting customers — fewer are good at supporting product comparison and selection, and most sites score poorly in the application phase.