Despite the push for mobile-first design, Shutterfly observes a clear behavioral divide. Customers use the mobile app for simple, quick products like prints and for uploading photos. However, they migrate to desktop for complex, time-intensive projects like photo books, demonstrating that different platforms serve distinct purposes in the customer journey.

Focus on a single job where the user provides a high-signal input (a photo, item, or text prompt). This simplifies the user experience and allows AI to deliver instant, high-value output, leading to better conversion and user engagement.

Don't dismiss a channel like TV as unsuitable for direct response. By acknowledging the common user behavior of dual-screening (watching TV while using a phone), you can create innovative hand-offs like "send to phone" or QR codes. This turns a passive viewing experience into an interactive conversion funnel.

Many brands practice multi-channel marketing, addressing customers on various platforms, but fail at true omnichannel. The key distinction is context continuity, where each new interaction is informed by the previous one. Most brands still struggle with this, but combining predictive analytics with Gen AI is making seamless, contextual omnichannel experiences a reality.

Simulcasting live streams in both vertical and horizontal formats is not just about broader reach. By unifying the chat and stream, YouTube enables a seamless, cross-device viewing experience. Viewers can start on mobile and transition to desktop without losing their place, crucial for retaining engagement during long streams.

The line between B2B and B2C user experience has vanished. Users expect the same seamless, elegant digital interactions in their professional tools as they get from consumer apps. A modern design system enables B2B companies to deliver this consumer-grade experience, even with complex product catalogs.

Harley Finkelstein describes the future of retail as "agentic," where a consumer's journey seamlessly crosses platforms. For example, a journey could start on TikTok, move to a physical pop-up, and conclude with a purchase inside the game Roblox, moving beyond the simpler online vs. offline dichotomy.

The era of linear, multi-step marketing funnels is over. Brands must now craft succinct, cohesive stories that are effective regardless of the order in which a consumer encounters them across channels (email, SMS, social). Each touchpoint must stand on its own while contributing to the whole narrative.

When customers invest significant time in a product, like a 30-hour photo book, tracking isolated events is insufficient. Shutterfly adopts a user-based data model to track behavior across multiple sessions and devices, focusing on critical milestones like "project start" rather than just individual clicks.