Web designers for the DFS site should be happy with the work they have done this month.

This comes after Retail Bulletin ranked the furniture store's website as the top as January's best designed site.

The Retail Bulletin, along with specialist website testing company Sitemorse, scored the DFS site 9.24 out of ten, significantly ahead of second place which received 8.20.

Founder of Sitemorse Lawrence Shaw explained: "Retailers' sites are definitely getting better as they become more reliant on their websites for generating sales."

"Certainly DFS must be putting more emphasis on its website because it is well ahead of even the second-placed company," he added.

Mr Shaw also commented on the fact that retailers' websites are significantly improving, which he described as "a good sign".

Indeed, 19 out of the top 20 websites ranked scored at least six points out of ten, compared with last month when only nine did so.

Meanwhile, writing on a Media Post blog, strategy director for digital marketing company iCrossing Rob Garner recently claimed that search is a crucial factor in website design.

He suggested that web designers should try to fit it into the site they are building from its inception to ensure they optimise its performance.