As part of the dotcom mania, standalone online banks and financial services platforms were the next big thing (along with everything else that ended in 'web'). Internet companies (and banks) with deep pockets threw money at online banking ventures.

Fast-forward a few years and we're left with the big four (or five, depending on how you count), all offering pretty standard online banking websites. Sure, there are tweaks and unique features here and there, but banking has lost its hype. It's no longer cool. Some would argue it was never cool, but that's another story.