Netflix tops customer satisfaction survey
Satisfaction with online retail is up 1.4% from last year
Computerworld - Online DVD rental service Netflix.com did the best job of satisfying its customers, according to ForeSee Results Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index, which was released today.
The survey uses the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which measures the online performance of a variety of sites. In early spring, ForeSee Results collected data from more than 24,000 respondents who had visited the top 100 online retail sites but didn't necessarily make a purchase.
Netflix led other online retailers with a score of 86 on the study's 100-point scale. QVC.com, with a score of 84, came in second, and Amazon.com, with 83 points, was third, according to the survey. It was the fourth consecutive year that these companies were in the top three. Overall customer satisfaction with the top 100 online retailers was up 1.4%, to a score of 75.
"The Web continues to be a bright spot in retail, which is good news for retailers and even better news for consumers," said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results. "When competition for limited consumer dollars is fierce, as it is now in a weak economy, retailers are searching for ways to convert browsers to buyers. Providing a satisfying Web site experience is the first place to start."
According to the survey, consumers who are happy with their online shopping experiences are loyal customers who will make purchases and tell others about their experiences.
In fact, online shoppers who were very satisfied with their online shopping experiences were 69% more likely to purchase from a particular online retailer the next time they shopped for similar merchandise; 75% were more likely to purchase online; 42% were more likely to purchase offline; and 75% were more likely to recommend the online retailer, according to the survey. To increase customer satisfaction, online retailers should focus on improving consumers' online shopping experiences, Freed said in a statement.
"The more satisfied a customer is with a Web site, the better the opportunity for the retailer to impact its bottom line," Freed said in the statement. "Customer satisfaction builds loyalty, increases brand recognition and ultimately leads to future sales."
The books/CDs/DVDs and sporting goods categories led the product category rankings with an aggregate score of 76; food and drug, mass merchants and specialty retailers had an aggregate score of 75; and apparel and accessories and computers/electronics had an aggregate score of 74.
The survey said the companies that provided the most satisfying online experiences in the computers/electronics category were Apple Inc., with a score of 80; Newegg Inc., also with 80; and Hewlett-Packard Co., with a score of 79.
SonyStyle had the biggest year-over-year increase, up nearly 6%, from 70 to 74 points, followed by Etronics.com, up 4.4% to 71; and Best Buy, up 4.2% to 74.
However, compared with other product categories, the computers/electronics category still delivered below-average customer satisfaction, the survey found.
Very satisfied online computer and electronics shoppers were 69% more likely to purchase from the company the next time they were looking to buy similar merchandise; 43% were more likely to purchase offline; 70% were more likely to purchase online; and 71% were more likely to recommend the retailer than were dissatisfied shoppers, according to the survey.
Read more about Networking in Computerworld's Networking Topic Center.



- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- Digital Transformation: Creating New Business Models Where Digital Meets Physical
- Individuals and businesses alike are embracing the digital revolution. Social networks and digital devices are being used to engage government, businesses and civil...
- Make the Connection: Better Network Connectivity Drives Transformation
- Network connectivity is more than just plumbing. Leading organizations today see high-performance network connectivity as a critical enabler of competitive advantage, and not...
- Virtualizing Government Infrastructure
- All server virtualization solutions are not created equal. The more-with-less agenda for government agencies is tailor-made for server virtualization, which is evolving into...
- Moving Service Management to SaaS
- Today, organizations can enjoy similarly substantial benefi ts by migrating their IT service management functions to a software-as-a-service model. This paper shows how...
- Achieving 360 Degree Network Visibility with Nimsoft
- 360° network visibility is critical for ensuring continuous availability of networks, servers, and applications-anything less could
have costly bottom-line implications.
All Networking White Papers
- Optimizing Networks for the Cloud
- Join guest speaker, Rohit Mehra, IDC Director of Enterprise Communications Infrastructure, to explore current trends, discuss best practices for optimizing Data Center and...
- Unified Communications 101
- What's the best way to implement a unified communications solution for your organization?
- Try the OptiView® XG on your network - FREE
- The OptiView® XG is the first dedicated tablet with automated network and application analysis -- fastest way to root cause. XG raises the...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 2: Designing and Deploying SQL Server on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn about the design considerations for virtualizing SQL workloads, performance and scalability information and high-availability options, as well as...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 1: Designing and Deploying Exchange 2010 on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn the virtual hardware design considerations for Exchange 2010, deployment using the building block approach, options for high-availability and... All Networking Webcasts