Nearly one in five (19 per cent) online Christmas shoppers abandoned their purchase before they paid because of insufficient delivery information, according to a survey.

And problems finding specific product information was another discouraging factor, says the study by market research firm YouGov and commissioned by RightNow Technologies.

Some 14 per cent of respodents to the 2000-strong survey said they had a negative Christmas shopping experience.

"To capitalise on the burgeoning online shopping market a retail website should be properly organised and consumer-centric," said RightNow general manager Joe Brown.

"By designing a site with the consumer shopping experience in mind, retailers can reduce consumer frustration and increase sales," he said.