Of the top 40 e-retailers, only Amazon and Netflix scored above 80 on a 100-point customer satisfaction scale, according to , an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company that measures the satisfaction levels of online shoppers. Amazon and Netflix both registered scores of 84, while QVC came in next at 79, ForeSee said.

Foresee, which based its scores on a survey of more than 9,000 visitors to the 40 Web sites, added that Amazon in particular continues to set the bar for customer satisfaction, helping the retailer to build loyalty among its customers.

"In a , knowing that improving customer satisfaction with your Web site can engender that kind of loyalty and purchase intent is like money in the bank," Larry Freed, Foresee's president and CEO, said in a statement. "But too many e-retailers are ignoring this crucial metric, and it shows in the results of our study."

The Foresee survey showed that nearly 40% of the 40 measured sites saw their customer satisfaction ratings drop from last year's levels. The largest declines were for the Home Shopping Network, which dropped by 9% to a score of 69, and The Gap, which dropped 7% to end up at 69 as well.

Altogether, more than one-fourth of the retailers finished with scores of 70 or below, according to Foresee. "That's just not playing to win in this economy," Freed said.