Harry Potter keeps web users spellbound

Figures from Nielsen//NetRatings show that two-thirds of visitors to warnerbros.com were viewing pages dedicated to the Harry Potter Movie with the average time spent on the site reaching thirteen minutes.

David Day, director of analytical services at ACNielsen eRatings.com, explained that people want to get online to view the latest news and gossip.

In a statement, Day said: "The Harry Potter site encourages its visitors to register as pupils at Hogwarts, Harry's school, and it is this sense of community that encourages them to explore further and to stay longer on the site."

The web has also fallen prey to the Popstars fever that has dominated press coverage recently. ITV's super-hyped pop group 'Hear'say' scored record visits on the official site popstarsonline.net - equalling the Big Brother phenomenon that swept across the country last year. Day said: "This site's performance suggests that TV-internet convergence is here to stay."