Only 8% more consumers shopped in-store than they did online last year, claims the research.
Just under half of those polled, 48%, said they received a better level of service online compared to when they shopped in-store.
The research, conducted by communications agency Likemind and Vision Critcal, showed the popularity of online retailing is catching up to its high street counterparts as online retailers put a stronger emphasis on catering for shoppers.
Shoppers aged 55 and over most strongly believed the online experience to be better than in-store.
The study, which involved over 2,000 UK consumers, will be a boon to the online retail industry.
Further findings revealed 66% of respondents said they have previously changed their mind about making a purchase because of the poor service they received, while 65% of shoppers said they would stop making a purchase if the service was too slow.
Nick Jefferson, chief executive of Likemind, said: "Whether you are designing a company website or a full-on transactional site, putting the user at the centre of the experience will guarantee you have happy and loyal customers that will also recommend you.
"This really puts the pressure on companies to work hard to understand their website user needs and learn from analytics how visitors are behaving on their site."