Customer satisfaction with online banking firms has improved by 12 percent since 2003, according to the 2008 ForeSee Results/Forbes.com Online Financial Services Study released yesterday.

Among the findings of the study, 31 percent of highly satisfied online banking customers are more likely than less satisfied customers to purchase more services; 57 percent are likely to use their bank’s Web site as a primary channel for banking services; 54 percent would recommend their bank to another person; and 63 percent would recommend their bank’s Web site to another person.

According to the report, the highest need for improvement in order to boost customer loyalty is to improve the overall site experience, specifically, make search tools more accessible; improve content organization; and make upgrades on transaction functionality and overall site performance.