Brit surfers prefer Brit sites - Official

Nearly all clicks and mortar sites visited most often by UK surfers are linked to UK brands.

Seventeen out of the top 20 sites are British-owned, proving that old economy companies have finally got their online acts together.

Although Microsoft.com heads the list, which was compiled by Nielsen//NetRatings, a whole gaggle of British websites, led by the BBC, are among the favourite online destinations.

Telecoms, entertainment, shopping, banking, and publishing brands all feature high-up in the top 20.

Channel 4's website showed the highest growth over the last six months, thanks to the return of Big Brother. AutoTrader, EasyJet, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Lloyds TSB and Nationwide have all come close to doubling their audience in the last six months alone.

Most of the sites performing less well in that period were shopping sites, whose audiences peaked six months ago for Christmas.

Nielsen//NetRatings looked at websites affiliated with offline companies or brands, and produced a ranking to show the 20 brands that have been most successful in adapting to the new economy and winning internet audience.

Tom Ewing, a Nielsen//NetRatings analyst, said in a statement: "Our data shows the strength and diversity of British brands online. The biggest purely online players often tend to be American, but as these figures suggest, the cream of old economy British brands are thriving on the internet. British surfers appreciate the combination of trusted names and innovative services these sites are offering."

The full list is as follows:

1. microsoft.com
2. bbc.co.uk
3. btinternet.com
4. virgin.net
5. lloydstsb.co.uk
6. channel4.com
7. bt.com
8. tesco.com
9. barclays.co.uk
10. nokia.com
11. autotrader.com
12. easyjet.com
13. nationwide.co.uk
14. whsmith.co.uk
15. argos.co.uk
16. britannica.com
17. hsbc.co.uk
18. warnerbros.com
19. natwest.com
20. comet.co.uk