A panel of experts reviewed over 2,400 consumer-facing websites and found that innovation and development are falling far behind what visitors are coming to expect from a web presence, according to AdWeek.

The panel of 300 industry professionals, selected by the Web Marketing Association, judged the sites on copywriting, design, features offered and other criteria. Of the seven categories considered, "Innovation" was found most wanting. Overall, the development index dropped three percent from 2005.

The airline industry was singled out as the most advanced consumer vertical, likely because that industry is among those that has been doing business online the longest.

Financial services ranked among the lowest industries engaging in new development, for the likely reason that investment in online initiatives has plateaued.