How to Choose the Best eSignature Provider for your Business

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the number of businesses and organisations worldwide seeking to digitise their operations. This digital transformation is driven by several factors, including the potential for time and cost savings, the reduction in carbon emissions through decreased paper usage, and the enhanced efficiency and productivity that support business growth.

Electronic signatures and digital document solutions play a crucial role in this digital transition. However, with a large number of e-signature software and providers on the market, how can you determine which one best meets your needs?

This guide will cover the essential factors to consider when selecting a digital signature service.

1. Avoid Prioritising Price

Before we delve into the factors to consider when choosing an e-signature provider, it’s important to address the potential drawbacks of selecting a digital solution based solely on price. The market is flooded with various e-signature software options, each with its own pricing structure.

While it might be tempting to opt for the cheapest option, it’s crucial to remember that an electronic signature needs to be both legally binding and secure, especially for handling sensitive documents. A lower-cost solution might not provide the quality and reliability you need.

Focusing only on price can lead to additional costs in the long run, either by upgrading to a higher-quality service or by investing more time and resources into finding a provider that meets your requirements from the start. 

Conduct thorough research before making a decision based on price alone. This careful consideration can save you time, money, and stress in the long term. To understand more about E-Sign’s pricing options which range from personal users to fully Enterprice price plan solutions,  please see our full pricing table of options. 

2. Compliance and Security

When signing important digital documents, signers need to feel assured that their data is completely secure. Consequently, any eSignature providers you consider should demonstrate that they meet or exceed the necessary industry standards for security and comply with relevant regulations in their operational areas.

For example, in the UK, a digital signature solution must comply with the definition of an electronic signature under the Electronic Communications Act 2000. Additionally, following the UK’s exit from the European Union, it adapted its own version of the EU eIDAS regulation, which outlines the criteria and requirements for e-signature and other digital solutions providers. 

E-Sign’s services are compliant with all relevant UK regulations and standards, including GDPR, which we continually monitor for updates to the regulator guidance and interpretations of key GDPR requirements to maintain our ongoing compliance. 

Security and privacy are at the core of our values at E-Sign. We have implemented the highest standard of systems, protocols, and policies to ensure our user data is kept as secure as possible. An important part of this is our infrastructure. We are a UK company with our own data centres based in the UK, featuring state of the art servers that are protected by commercial-grade firewalls, border routers, and network management systems.

Also, our platform is protected by a 256-bit SSL encryption, anti-malware software, and intrusion detection and prevention systems to minimise the risk of cyber attacks and keep your data safe at all times. Our electronic signatures come with a full digital audit trail and certificate of completion to verify the authenticity of the document and signature. 

These are just a few examples of the stringent security measures we undertake to ensure our platform goes above and beyond the required industry standards for security and compliance, you can learn more about our policies on our security page.

3. Usability and Device Compatibility

Whether you’re a large enterprise or an SME, ensuring the eSignature platform you choose is user-friendly is crucial. The appeal of eSignature platforms lies in the ability to sign documents quickly. But this advantage can be lost if the platform is poorly designed and difficult to navigate for both your business and clients.

At E-Sign, we prioritise making our platform intuitive and easy to use for all users, regardless of their technical expertise. Our clients can benefit from a web demonstration conducted by one of our specialists, providing a comprehensive overview of the platform’s features. Additionally, we offer numerous resources, tutorials, and guides to help users navigate various elements of the software.

Another key aspect of usability to consider when evaluating e-signature providers is cross-device compatibility. Many organisations utilise a range of devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Therefore, it’s essential that the platform allows document signing and sending from any device. E-Sign provides this flexibility, enabling you to complete important transactions anytime, anywhere.

4. Accreditations and Trust

Researching a provider’s credentials and accreditations can provide valuable insights into their trustworthiness and the quality of their products and services. E-Sign collaborates with various accreditation bodies and experts to ensure we meet the highest industry and regulatory standards. Some examples of our accreditations include:

• Cyber Essentials Plus – a UK government-backed scheme that certifies that our systems will defend against a variety of the most common cyber threats.
• ICO – the ICO accreditation determines that our personal data processing is compliant with GDPR requirements and in line with the accountability principle.
• Public Service Network (PSN) – E-Sign is proud to be the only electronic signature supplier on the PSN, making us a trusted provider by the UK government. The PSN is the government’s high security network, it is designed to enable public sector organisations to work together and share resources.
• ISO 27001 –  the most well-known standard for information security management systems (ISMS) and their requirements. It sets out guidance for how businesses can implement, maintain, and improve their ISMS.

5. Legality and eSignature types

Most industries and organisations require important documents to have a legally binding signature for them to be as legally recognised as handwritten signatures. With this in mind, it’s crucial to understand the legal requirements for eSignatures in your location and whether the providers you’re considering comply with those requirements.

For instance, the eIDAS regulation defines three types of e-signatures: basic, advanced, and qualified. A legally binding advanced electronic signature must meet the following criteria:

• The signature is uniquely linked to the signer.
• It can correctly identify the signer.
• The signer is the only one with control over the signature.
• It is linked to the data in a way that detects any changes made to the document and the signature.

Both advanced and qualified digital signatures require additional security measures to ensure their legal validity. In contrast, basic signatures might only involve simple actions like ticking a checkbox to agree to terms, without any steps for identity verification or confirming document authenticity. Therefore, advanced or qualified e-signatures are preferred by organisations that regularly handle important document transactions.

When evaluating different software and providers, ensure they offer legally valid and binding signatures that meet your document requirements. E-Sign provides secure advanced eSignatures and is in the process of meeting regulatory requirements to offer qualified signatures.

6. Integrations and Automation

Many organisations utilise a variety of digital systems and applications to manage their processes and workflows. When evaluating different e-signature providers, it’s essential to consider whether they offer integrations with other platforms to streamline your operations and enhance efficiency.

Seamless integrations can save you the hassle of switching between applications to complete important transactions effectively. A reliable, high-quality e-signature platform should integrate smoothly with your existing systems, providing a comprehensive view of your business pipeline and reducing administrative tasks.

E-Sign integrates with a wide range of applications and CRMs, including Microsoft, Google Suite, SharePoint, HubSpot, Stripe, and more. Our platform’s integrations allow you to leverage automation features that can significantly benefit your business.

For example, by creating custom automated workflows, your team can focus on higher-value tasks. These workflows can be tailored for any process, whether for a one-off project or a large-scale task management system.

We have recently launched our newest integration with SharePoint, allowing SharePoint users to sign, send, and store their documents using E-Sign from within the SharePoint environment. It is a great example of how the platform can be combined with your existing systems to maximise the features of both applications. 

E-Sign gives you full control over your integrations, enabling you to establish a customised, secure workflow that meets your business needs and supports seamless transactions for sustained growth.

Conclusion

As you can see, several factors should be considered when choosing the best electronic signature provider for your business. While price may influence your decision to some extent, it’s more advantageous for your organisation to focus on the quality and features each provider and software offer beyond just the cost.

E-Sign is an industry-leading provider of secure eSignature and digital document solutions, offering customised services to meet a variety of business needs. If you’re looking to digitise your document processes and reap the benefits of electronic signatures, consider trying E-Sign. We offer a 14-day free trial, allowing you to explore the platform’s features and see how it can support your document requirements.

If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us, our digital transformation specialists are on hand to help.