The majority of people who order items on Amazon appreciate the smoothness of the buying process, according to a recent survey.

Yuseo, a firm that describes itself as a "digital experience specialist", released a study indicating that overall website functionality is a major factor in encouraging consumers to buy things online and possibly use related services such as parcel delivery.

The research gathered feedback from more than 24,000 web users across two broad sectors - food and grocery, and general retail - and found that consumers in both markets place the greatest emphasis on three main aspects of the shopping experience: ease of use, the smoothness of the purchase process and a wide range of brands.

Discussing the results, Yuseo said: "Clearly, the overall handling of the website comes across as playing a major part in the online purchase satisfaction."

Amazon was ranked alongside Marks & Spencer and Littlewoods as one of the leading providers of an easy and efficient ordering system, with 66 per cent of customers saying they appreciated the process used by these companies.

House of Fraser and Littlewoods were identified as the top general retailers for offering a good choice of well known brands, while the former also received praise for the quality of the images on its website.

Nearly half (46 per cent) of Debenhams customers surveyed said they thought the company was "ahead of the pack" with regards to promotions and special offers.

Looking at other characteristics that are important for firms selling things online and using parcel delivery services, Yuseo noted that more than a third (36 per cent) of its survey respondents cited pricing as the most significant aspect of internet shopping.

The presence of enticing offers was not far behind on 35 per cent, while a third (33 per cent) of consumers said visual images and the presentation of products influenced their buying experience.

Author:  Adrian Medland