LITCHFIELD PARK, AZ ? A Zazzle executive at the Mobile Shopping Summit 2014 said connecting the user experience across devices is causing consumers to continue engagement with the online retailer. 

The executive?s ?Threading the Multi-Device Needle? session looked at the retailer?s presentation of product manufacturing through video and how it lends a personal touch to the transaction, prompting users to return. By sending periodic messages to the consumer that describe the making of the product, consumers feel closeness to the brand and appreciate the effort.

?Our business isn?t as simple as people going online or calling in, so it takes some work for consumers to get the most value out of us,? said Jeremy Britton, director of design strategy at Zazzle, San Francisco. 

The Mobile Shopping Summit was organized by Worldwide Business Research.

Promoting personalization
Zazzle, an online retailer with a custom products platform offering invitations, home furnishings, and more, continues to expand its offerings with some apparel and accessory products. 

The retailer does not look at the phenomenon of mobile in the context of mobile usage versus desktop usage. Instead, its strategy is focused on the use of devices in the palm versus the lap versus the desk. 

Realizing that mobile and tablet are very different from one another, Zazzle has seen different behavioral trends across each device, prompting the retailer to opt for Web responsive design. 

The retailer has also invested in behind-the-scene videos that include clips of the product manufacturing process. 

Zazzle sends a message to consumers following a transaction that requests users to download the app, which can be used to track orders. 

A second video reaches consumers to keep them in the loop and includes another video of the manufacturing of the product. As the item is shipped, Zazzle sends another message containing a snapshot of the finished product and gives shipping confirmation.

Users should expect to receive a follow-up email after the product is expected to arrive to the recipient?s address that requests snapshots and a product review to the featured on the site. 

Blending connectivity
When searching graduation invitations on the Zazzle app, users are asked for the graduate?s name they are shopping for, and the app delivers popular designs that include the name. 

Users can tap on designs they like. Zazzle then recommends users to log in, via email or Facebook, among other partnering sites, so users can pick up where they left off upon returning to the site. 

If their next connection is made on a different device, the platform recognizes the user and delivers saved work and users? favorite designs. 

Mr. Britton believes these efforts give the brand a face and make consumers more likely to respond by extending multiple, personal connections. 

?Our consumers cannot always complete transactions over a five or ten minute period,? Mr. Britton said. ?The process expands on at least one day or more. 

?We believe our videos and connected messages help consumers want to return and reconnect with Zazzle.? 

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York