SmallBusinessNewz

Gomez released a few findings from a recent survey conducted by Equation Research, looking at 2009 holiday shopping. The findings reveal just how big a problem customers find slow websites and transaction problems at retail sites to be. According to the research, customers find more of these issues to occur during popular shopping periods when traffic to the sites peaks.

"At stake is the $1,050 that each online shopper spends annually, according to the survey, with a significant amount of spending conducted during these peak times," says Gomez.

Here are some specific highlights from the survey:

- A third of online shoppers had a bad experience on a retail Web site during the recent 2009 Holiday shopping season and 15 percent found the problem to be "unacceptable."

- These bad online experiences caused nearly one in five online shoppers to shop at another site.
 
-  In general, 41 percent of online shoppers will only tolerate one or two bad online experiences before abandoning a retailer’s Web site.

The full results of the survey have not been published just yet, and will not be until February 2nd, but those shared already highlight the need to deliver an optimal web experience for customers. Think of it as a call to action.

"This survey confirms that consumers expect retail Web sites to perform well for them, regardless of how many other shoppers are also visiting the site," said Matt Poepsel, Vice President, Performance Strategies, Gomez Division. "It’s also clear that when shoppers encounter Web performance problems, their patience and loyalty run thin. Once a customer has left your site, chances are they are not going to give you a second chance--and few retailers can afford to lose business this way."

In fact, customers may have a harder time finding your site to begin with in the future, if it loads slowly. Google has recently indicated that it will likely start taking page speed into consideration when determining ranking factors for websites in its search results.

The survey was conducted among 1,500 consumers who bought a product or service online in the past nine months. Interviews were conducted December 16-22.