Internet Retailer: The leading sites in online customer experience, according to a new survey

Vividence surveyed users of some of the top 20 e-commerce sites, ranking their customer experiences and perceived relative value. Using that data, the study then divined which features customers deemed most useful. Price, surprisingly, wasn't an all-controlling factor. While WalMart.com scored high on value, its poor customer experience kept it away from the top of the rankings.

The list toppers tended to have special features that others did not - like Amazon's one-click shopping or Circuit City's in-store pickup. Another big asset for some sites proved to be large databases of meta-content, such as user reviews, lists of similar items and product data. The big no-no for buyers was forcing customers to register before buying. They hated that. The other two big bugaboos were a lack of product comparisons and a lack of customer ratings.

Topping the list overall was Amazon, BN.com, Circuit City, eBay and Land's End. On the bottom were Froogle, Target, Nordstrom, J.C. Penney and Costco.