Local tech companies have joined forces to launch SMS messaging software to help online stores across the UK reach and engage with their customers.

FireText, based at the Tremough Innovation Centre, and Truro based eCommerce specialists Insite Digital, have collaborated to help businesses improve customer service and personalise the online shopping experience.

The new software will allow online stores to send personalised order notifications via text message which will add an element of human interaction that you would naturally get when shopping in store.

Dan Parker, FireText co-founder said, “Thirty-nine per cent of UK smartphone owners are already purchasing through mobile devices and there is a massive opportunity to use SMS texts to improve customer service.”

FireText's text marketing platform is already well recognised in the hospitality sector as well as events management where they are the UK's only SMS integration for ticketing giants Eventbrite.

Dan added: “Our new software is a major step into the eCommerce industry where we aim to be recognised as the leading UK provider - as we have already accomplished in other sectors.”

The text messaging software has been developed in partnership with Insite Digital who specialise in the delivery of high converting eCommerce stores on Magento, a powerful yet simple website platform tailored for online stores.Daniel Hinchliffe, co-founder and sales director at Insite Digital, said: “These are exciting times for online stores. We have seen a huge increase in the volume of mobile traffic to our clients' eCommerce sites and the number of clients requesting mobile solutions. Having a responsive or mobile friendly site is now an essential requirement for any online store to succeed”.

Future developments of FireText's new software are also under consideration with the intentions of using SMS to reduce online basket abandonment rates.