Why eSignatures are More Important Than You Think

Signing documents has always been an essential part of business. The process of obtaining a signature, however, can be time-consuming and disruptive to your workflow. You have to mail out the document then wait for it to be returned which could take weeks. In today’s world, there has to be a better solution. 

Electronic signatures, or eSignatures, have been around for some time now. Instead of signing a document in person, eSignatures make it so you can sign them online. While some believe eSignatures aren’t as valuable as a physical signature, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Let’s look at why you should switch if you haven’t already.

Legal Validity

Believe it or not, electronic signatures hold up in court better than handwritten signatures. Physical signatures can be easily forged or tampered with, whereas eSignatures include a date, a time stamp, and an IP address to help verify that the right person did in fact sign the document. On top of that, there are federal laws in place like the ESIGN Act that ensures all electronic signatures have as much legal standing as their handwritten counterparts.

Secure Your Documents 

One way eSignatures are more secure than handwritten ones is that electronic documents have password protection capabilities. Paper forms not only lack any security protection, but they are also liable to be delivered to the wrong address or the wrong person. By sending documents directly to the recipient’s inbox or to an online portal, there’s less risk involved and you know the right person will get them without any hassle.

More Efficient 

From the time you mail documents that need to be signed to the time they’re returned, it could take weeks, maybe longer. For any documentation that’s time sensitive, this poses a huge dilemma. On the flip side, an eSignature can be emailed and signed within minutes. Both parties can be notified when the signatures are done and there’s no wait time.

Easier to Track

Another problem that physically signed documents pose is they need to be filed. If filed incorrectly, you can waste a lot of time trying to locate them again. Likewise, you can run into the same problem if you send documents to a recipient who holds onto them for a while and then can’t locate them.. Tracking down the physical copies is a chore that takes up time you could be spending elsewhere. With an eSignature, both parties have electronic copies so they’re easier to locate down the road. Plus, you no longer have to deal with overflowing file cabinets.

Better Client Experience

With the world becoming more digital, customer expectations have shifted to faster, more reliable forms of technology. Nobody wants to wait around all day for some forms to show up or have to drive somewhere to sign something when they could easily do it from home. The less your customers have to wait or take time out of their day, the more they’ll thank you.

Better for the Environment

eSignatures are also great if you want to cut back on the amount of paper you’re using. By cutting back on paper, you’re helping the environment, which for many customers is an important quality in the company they choose to work with.

Making the Transition

Getting an electronic signature is going to be easier for your business and your customers moving forward. You don’t want to be left behind when other companies are gaining an edge on you by incorporating faster, newer technology. By using an eSignature, you can offer your customers a simpler solution that’s more secure and better for the environment. Switching today couldn’t be a more obvious choice.