The comparison site Moneysupermarket.com has received a jump in the visitor numbers, the credit of which goes to an advertising campaign featuring Peter Jones of TV show Dragon's Den. The group saw a healthy Q3 that covered the three months to September 30, since internet revenues grew nearly 15% on the first half, even when this was lower 15% on the same period 2008.  

In a trading update, Moneysupermarket said, “The marketing push featuring Mr Jones meant visitor numbers were up on the same period last year and against the second quarter.”

Monday, there was over 3% rise in the shares. The revenues of company’s insurance website improved 5% on last year due to the hike in traffic; however, the prominent worse conditions in the credit market led the sales in the Money field lower by 40%.  

A slow improvement is visible in trading throughout the course of the year, with Money revenues around 10% higher on the first half.

“Savings was the strongest performer, as consumers looked to maximize their returns in a low interest environment and as lenders sought to strengthen their balance sheets through consumer deposits,” said a source.  

The Q3 witnessed an improvement in unsecured lending, including credit card revenues, with the rate of decline slowing from the first half.