Customer satisfaction with e-commerce web sites on the rise

Customer satisfaction with e-commerce web sites has improved slightly from last year, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

E-commerce’s ACSI score experienced a 1.3 percent boost from Q4 2004’s 78.6, to Q4 2005’s 79.6. ForeSee Results uses the University of Michigan’s ACSI methodology, which includes site users’ likelihood of using a site again or recommending it to other users, to determine rankings based on a 100-point scale.

The report segments e-commerce into four subcategories: e-retail, online auction, e-brokerage, and online travel companies.

The industry score for travel web sites improved one percent to 79, with Expedia coming in at 79, Travelocity 75 and Orbitz 74. A year ago, the big three were within a point of each other. But Expedia differentiated itself last year with new products such as cruises and packages from popular resorts, as per the information available.

“Online retail is figuring out ways to compensate for being a virtual experience by providing a lot more information than you’d be able to find in-store,” said Larry Freed, president/chief executive officer, ForeSee Results. “Many online stores offer extensive product information, side-by-side specification comparisons, customer reviews and 360-degree views, all from the convenience of your computer.”

Amazon, which was up 3.6 percent to 87, made up most of the ground it lost last year and is tied with BarnesandNoble.com for the highest score of any retailer or service provider in the ACSI.