ClickZ reports a study by ForeSee Results and FGI Research that consumer satisfaction with e-commerce sites has dropped in 2009 compared to a year ago.

• Out of a possible 100 points — with 100 representing the highest possible score — the top 100 e-commerce sites recorded an aggregation score of 73, down 3 percent from 2008

• Of the top 100 sites, scores for 55 sites dropped year-over-year, while only 16 increased.

Things seem to be seriously wrong for some eCommerce retailers:

• Apple.com (everyone’s darling) scored 75 on the index, down 6 percent from last year, putting it behind 25 other companies including (hold your breath) Dell.com, Walmart.com, and HPshopping.com.

But (on the proverbial other hand), for other retailers there are some very good news: value and discount retailers such as Kohl’s and Costco have seen more benefit to their scores.

• Kohl’s score improved from 72 to 76, a 5.6 percent increase

• Costco increased from 72 to 74, a 2.8 percent year-over-year change.

So why is this good news for Conversion-oriented Marketers?

Simple: the data suggests that consumers are now more concerned about prices than in past, trumping convenience or shipping terms in terms of importance.

This data is a rich source of hypothesis for testing modifications to your value proposition and tactical offers. The data doesn’t confirm the shift in the marketplace, and only suggests it may or may not apply to your business.

(Remember: a hypothesis is only a tentative insight and not a true concept. Only test results prove insight to be true.)

In other words, eCommerce retailers should not wholesale jump into slashing prices – they should test changes based on the data to generate increased sales while minimizing the impact on margins.

So eCommerce retailers can now verify these insights through statically valid testing of different/creative price points, product bundles, shipping terms, return policies, etc.

If you are an eCommerce retailer seeing a drop in sales (whether or not you track Customer Sat scores), you now have a great opportunity to test modifications to your value proposition and tactical offers that will take you back (and beyond) your past sales conversion rates. By testing, you minimize the risks and maximize the opportunity.

By testing, there is no need to jump.