Online shoppers experience more website slow downs and other problems completing transactions during popular shopping periods when traffic to retail websites peaks, according to a new survey by Equation Research conducted on behalf of web performance firm Gomez.

At stake is the $1,050 that each online shopper spends annually, according to the survey, with a significant amount of spending done during these peak times.

Social media will play a role this holiday season in how people find bargains, with nearly 30 percent of online shoppers saying the best way to find discounts is through sharing links, comments or social sites, according to a new survey from Guidance.

Email is popular with 45 percent of respondents who say it is the best way to learn about deals while 16 percent said they find out about discounts from a retailers Web site, and 10 percent cited banner ads.

Close to three-quarters of online shoppers (73%) will ditch an ecommerce site within one or two minutes of not finding the products they are looking for according to a survey sponsored by SLI Systems and conducted by Zoomerang.

DoubleClick Performics has released the results of their Consumer Loyalty Survey, which examined what factors determine loyalty to an online retailer.

"When it comes to loyalty and rewards programs, this research shows consumers often seek the best value," said Stuart Frankel, president of DoubleClick Performics.

 "Seven out of ten consumers shop multiple Web sites before making an online purchase to find the site offering the best deal."