The report provides a comprehensive and analytical examination of every aspect of current UK banking and broking markets. It also attempts to provide an overview of what online banks and brokers must do in order to attract and retain customers.

The chief research findings are that, among Internet users who do not currently bank online, over one third are likely to begin doing so in the next six months. Additionally, branch-less banks (Internet or telephone banks) tend to attract customers who have an average household income of 41% more than customers of traditional high street banks. These branch-less banks also have the highest incidence of "disusers", i.e. customers who start web banking but then stop.

The report’s analysis suggests that Internet accounts are sometimes treated as supplementary to real world ones. This makes Internet accounts equally as vulnerable to change, as customers in the UK tend to swap brick and mortar accounts frequently, with the habit spilling over into the virtual world. Surprisingly though, nearly half (47%) of online investors appear to not have offline accounts. It is thought that these users are new to broking, and have chosen to use the Internet rather than traditional channels.

Commenting on the findings overall, Ed Bowie, senior analyst and author of the report at Gomez, said, "Online financial services firms must always strive to remain at the forefront of innovation, particularly the branch-less operations. Firms must make customers aware of the advantages of managing their finances online and must provide reliable customer support to build customer confidence and understanding of their services. Online financial services firms must maintain momentum through innovation and by continuing to add value to their customers if they are to succeed long- term." The report’s research was conducted in a survey of 2000 Internet users in the UK during 2001. The data was also contrasted with comparative data from an additional 2000 Internet users across Europe.