Everyone gets distracted when shopping online. That’s one of the nice things about shopping via the web - you can take a phone call, refill your coffee, walk the dog, quick nap in the hammock … then come back and your order is still there. The flip side of this scenario is the theme of sorts for Crazy, Messed-up World of Ecommerce video #7 “Abandoned.”

Video #7 - Abandoned

For online retailers though, abandoned carts are the root of endless worry and concern. These conversion killers piling up in your logs beg questions like: Why did they leave? Were they just comparing prices or features or is it something I did? Maybe there’s something wrong with my site’s usability! How can I make it better? How can I get them back? How can I raise my conversion rates? Would adding “wishlists” or “saved cart” features reduce cart abandonment? and so on …

Well for sure usability is important (check The Ecommerce Checkout Report for more on best practisesc) and certainly retailers loathe leaving money on the table, but sometimes, cart abandonment just happens. Just hope they come back, right?

Elastic Path CEO Harry Chemko visits with UK-based gift and gadget retailer, “I Want One of Those.” After racing mini-cars and tiny motorcycles, IWOOT’s Angus and Simon offer insight into why they like Elastic Path, the benefits of using open source software, the importance of scalability and growing a successful retail storefront before getting back to “product testing” the shelves of unique toys.

[video editing by DaveO for Get Elastic blog/podcast]

A brief video montage from the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition in Chicago featuring two incredible contortionists, Joni and Caara, plus some crowd shots and general atmosphere.

Filmed by Harry and Mark and edited by me (DaveO). Enjoy!