Gomez Advisors survey reveals growing popularity of online-only banks.

Electronic commerce research firm Gomez Advisors Inc. disclosed its rankings of the top Internet banks, signifying both the growing popularity of Internet-only banks and traditional institutions_ increasing reliance on e-commerce. Security First Network Bank, an Internet-only institution, placed first for the third consecutive quarter, based on Gomez_s survey of ease of use, customer confidence, on-site resources, relationship services and overall cost. Wells Fargo (WFC) finished second, while Citibank, a unit of Citigroup (C), placed fourth, a reflection of how traditional banks are moving much of their businesses to the Internet. "More than 40% of the top consumer banks now offer Web services and consider the Net a must-have service to retain customer relationships," said Julio Gomez, chairman and founder of Gomez Advisors.