7 Steps to Choose the Best Electronic Signature Software for Your Business

Welcome to the fantastic world of electronic signatures - said in a radio voice.

We know that choosing the best electronic signature software for your company can be overwhelming. Multiple providers, platforms and signature APIs, different types of signatures, functions for this and that, etc.

Let’s try to make it easier for you.

As experts in digital trust services, we’ve created this guide with the goal of helping you make the right decision, analyzing step by step the most important aspects when choosing which electronic signature provider and tool you want to work with. This way, you’ll be able to perform a more or less complete analysis, quickly and effectively, that helps you avoid mistakes.

By the way, if you’re not very familiar with electronic signatures yet and want to review the most important concepts, such as their legal validity, the types of signatures that exist and their professional benefits, take a look at our guide on electronic signatures.

Step 1. Define what your business needs

First, start by defining what’s really important for you and your clients when it comes to signing. Your business needs come first, then look for the tools that best adapt to what you really need.

Start by writing a simple list with the essential aspects regarding:

• Current signing process - How you’re currently signing and what steps need to be taken. If it helps, draw the process visually. Talking to colleagues who are directly involved in the process will help you.

• New signing process - How you’d like to sign and what improvements you’d like to implement. Visualize the new process and the steps to follow, you can even plan two implementation phases to start with the essentials first. Consider, if necessary, involving someone from the internal or external legal team.

• User experience - How you need the experience to be for the users of the signature solution. Thinking about the employees who will use the tool is fundamental. Listen to their requirements and note the improvement aspects of how they currently work.

• Signing experience - How you need the signing experience to be for the signers - that is, your clients, employees or collaborators. Consider their level of handling with technological tools, from where you want them to sign, the feedback they’ve given you about the current process, etc.

• Documents - What type of documents you’re going to sign and what’s the approximate volume of documents monthly or annually. Will it be greater, less or similar to the current one? Do you expect the volume of documents to sign to increase if business volume increases?

• Connectivity - Is a web platform to manage documents to send sufficient? Do you need the tool to connect with other software you use in your daily work? Do you want to integrate signing into your processes or web environments?

• Budget - Think about what budget you have available or can dedicate to an electronic signature tool or for the project.

• Other desirable elements - You can list those elements that are not fundamental, but desirable.

When you have the list of important requirements, continue with the guide to evaluate the fundamental aspects of the provider or providers you’ve selected.

Step 2. Evaluate usability and signing experience

It’s fundamental that you work with an application that provides a rewarding experience for both parties - requesters and signers.

As a requester, you’ll find it key to evaluate aspects such as:

• How easy and intuitive it is to access and use the program
• How easy and intuitive it is to send documents to sign, view ongoing signature processes or how to view and download signed documents
• What degree of complexity the tool has and if much training is needed to start or if you can start without prior learning

The ideal is to have a tool that’s easy to use, intuitive, secure and that meets the requirements of the employees who will use it.

Take as an example the eEvidSign electronic signature platform, which allows you to send documents to sign in 1 minute:

And as a signer, it will be important to evaluate aspects such as:

• How intuitive and agile the signing experience is - How do signers receive documents to sign? Is it easy to access the signing platform? Does it take long to load? Can they view all documents well?
• What they have to do to sign - Do they draw their signature? Do they press a button? Do they mark a checkbox with a check?
• What technical and technological skills they need - How are your clients? Could any of them sign?
• If they need to install a program to sign
• If signing has any cost for them

The goal is for it to be an agile and comfortable process for the signers.

See how a person would sign when documents are sent to them to sign through the eEvidSign platform:

Step 3. Evaluate the type of signature and functions you need

For most use cases a simple electronic signature with legal value will be sufficient and will provide an easy, fast and secure experience. Additionally, thanks to the signature process certificate (Audit Trail) you’ll have the evidence to prove the signing process.

Evaluate if you need additional guarantees in your signing processes, such as signer authentication, and if it’s really worth paying for them - if so, consider using an advanced electronic signature.

Regarding functions, get ready to enter a kind of escape room. Each provider is a world and you might encounter countless functions that you don’t quite know what they mean and whose names will sound bombastic to you. Comparing isn’t an easy task at all. Sometimes I wonder why marketing people make it so complicated… 🤔

To make it easier for you, we’ve listed the elements and functions that we consider could be most interesting for you:

• Signature dashboard: space in the application where you can consult your signature processes and their status, quickly see which signers haven’t signed yet, as well as view and download signed documents

• Signature envelopes: a signature envelope allows including multiple documents for multiple signers in a single signature request

• Multi-device signing: the signer can perform the signing process from any device, correctly viewing the documents to sign and being able to comfortably perform the signature

• Signature placement: visually you can place where you want each signer to sign on the document. See how the signature editor looks in eEvidSign:

• Mass sending: send multiple documents to multiple signers at once, avoiding creating multiple requests

• Multiple signing: enables signing several documents at once, avoiding the hassle of sending separate emails and having signers sign one by one

• Certification of document signature request: this is a unique feature of the eEvidSign tool, which sends the document signature request email to signers through registered email. Thanks to this, you’ll be able to demonstrate in a reliable way that you’ve made documents available to the signer for signing - it’s the digital equivalent to a burofax.

• Signature certificate (Audit Trail): probative document that accredits the entire signing process. In this video you can see more information

• Automatic and programmable reminders to signers who haven’t signed yet

• Signature expiration: set an expiration date for the signature process

• Secure document access: in addition to sending the secure signing link only to authorized signers, you can add a password that only the signer will know to reinforce access

• Document custody: signed documents and signature certificates are securely stored in the application - always pay attention to storage size limitations, time, extra costs, etc.

• Document auto-filling: automatically fill contracts and other documents based on a series of data, saving time and minimizing errors in document preparation and sending. This is usually an advanced function only available for higher licenses or for clients with integration API.

• Multi-channel signature requests: send document signature requests through email, certified email, SMS, certified SMS, WhatsApp, link, on a website, etc.

Step 4. Evaluate guarantees and legal security

Beyond the trust that each provider inspires in you or how well-known they might be, make sure that the guarantees they provide are the most appropriate.

Here’s a brief list of the aspects we recommend validating:

• Regulatory compliance with the legal framework of your country or territory - for example, in Spain and the rest of the EU, make sure signatures comply with the eIDAS Regulation. This will guarantee that agreements are legally binding and that your signatures have minimum guarantees.

• Trust service provider - try to choose a provider specialized in providing trust services such as certified communications, electronic signatures or electronic identification. For example, at eEvidence we’ve been dedicated to this for over 20 years.

• Services and functions that provide a higher degree of guarantees - such as certification of signature requests, protected access to document signing through secret key, signer authentication systems, data encryption, among others.

• Platform reliability - whenever possible, evaluate the reliability level offered by each provider’s platform. There are transparent providers who offer a page showing the status and performance of their services, like this one offered by eEvidence. This will give you an idea of the reliability you can expect from the service; the closer to 100% the better. And for those clients who need it, there are also providers like eEvidence that can offer up to 99.99% service level agreement (SLA) by contract.

• Signature process certificate (Audit Trail) - not only must you ensure that for each signature process you receive the certificate or audit trail, but the document must be electronically signed by the company to protect its authenticity and immutability over time (if not, the document won’t be of much use because anyone could alter or modify it and the evidence would lose meaning). This is a feature especially valued by companies that use eEvidSign for electronic signatures. To verify that the document is electronically signed, simply open it with a PDF reading or editing program and see if a message like this appears in the header:

Step 5. Solution scalability

Your signature needs may vary over time for many reasons.

We recommend ensuring you choose a provider that offers you variety of plans and functions that allow you to continue with the platform as your business grows. This way you’ll avoid having to make changes in the future and assume change costs, which can be high for certain companies.

For this, we recommend looking at the following:

• Licenses / service plans - Choose a provider that allows you to start with the essentials and has superior options to grow, whether you need more signature volume, more users, advanced functions or additional services.

• Connectivity and integrations - See if the provider only has the web signature platform, if they offer integrations with third-party software, or if they also offer an API for developers who want to integrate signing into their systems and processes. It’s not necessary to contract everything from the start, but it’s good to know that when your needs change you’ll still be able to count on them.

• Fees - Finally, it’s important to evaluate if your provider’s fees are scalable and efficient as your needs change. Can you upgrade your plan without costs skyrocketing? Can you go back to a lower plan when you want? Try to see if you can achieve operational savings as you increase usage, especially when we talk about signing documents on a large scale.

Step 6. Standard product vs. custom solution

Do you need a custom signature solution or is a standard platform sufficient?

• Standard product - For most professionals and SMEs, a standard signature platform will be more than sufficient. Usability and functions will adapt more or less to the desired signature operation and defined requirements. Hiring will be quick, even self-service through the provider’s website, and starting will be practically immediate.

• Custom solution - When we talk about companies with very particular needs, high signature volumes, integrated signature processes with other software, systems or on the web, a standard product is probably not the best solution. In these cases, always opt to consider a custom solution for your company. This is where the provider’s ability to create or customize a solution that adapts to your business requirements comes into play, advising you from the start, customizing the product to specific needs and use cases, offering you the advanced functions, connectivity and integrations you need. More than a product, we’re talking about a solution.

Depending on what you require, count on one provider or another. For example, at eEvidence we can offer you both options: our standard electronic signature platform or a custom electronic signature solution.

Step 7. Price and cost model

Let’s be honest, price is one of the most decisive factors when making a decision. The smart thing is to leave price for the end, once you’ve evaluated the previous points and have clear what you need and what each provider offers you. Only then will you be able to understand if it’s convenient for you or not.

At this point, make an approximate calculation of the solution’s usage over time to ensure you get the best value for money and evaluate the different elements of each provider’s cost model. You can be guided by this brief analysis:

• Plan type - Is it a subscription, a signature package or pay-per-signature? Although a pay-per-signature solution might seem the most convenient at the moment, it usually ends up being the most expensive and limiting.

• Unit of measurement type - Pay per user, per signatures, per included functions or other concepts? It’s important to be clear about what the unit of measurement of your plan is and know how costs vary based on this unit of measurement. One of the aspects most valued by our clients are the “signature envelopes” of eEvidSign, which allow sending multiple documents to multiple signers counting as if it were just one signature, providing them with greater savings and efficiency.

• Payment type - Is it paid once at the start or periodically? Do the standard conditions work for you or do you need something personalized? Payment flexibility is always important for any business.

• What’s included - Does it include the features you need? What’s essential for your business and what can you do without? There will probably be functions that will be accessory to you and you’ll surely never use, so it probably won’t be worth paying for them.

• What you’ll gain - How much savings will I generate compared to my current signature system? By implementing this new electronic signature program, will I be able to increase my business, close more sales, hire new remote employees, etc.? Visualize what you’ll gain, in the short, medium and long term.

• What you’ll pay - Ask yourself if it’s a fair price or not, if it’s affordable or outside your budget, if it’s correct or expensive for what it offers.

Finally, if you’re going to make large-scale use or think you’re paying too much for your current solution and looking for an alternative, our experts can help you optimize your costs and achieve the savings you’re looking for.

Consider eEvidSign electronic signature

Now that you have the steps to follow and the different aspects to consider clear for evaluating an electronic signature tool for your company, we suggest adding eEvidSign to your favorites list.

At eEvidence we believe that signing documents doesn’t have to be tedious, legally insecure or cost your company a fortune. Quite the opposite.

In case you don’t know us yet: eEvidence is a leading global trust service provider specialized in certified electronic communications and electronic signature services. Over the last 20 years, more than 22,000 clients in 130 countries have chosen to work with us.

The eEvidSign electronic signature solution is ideal for companies looking to manage document signing in an agile, intuitive, secure way and at a fair price, even on a large scale.

According to your needs and usage level, you can choose between two electronic signature products:

• eEvidSign Platform - The simple and easy-to-use cloud electronic signature platform that allows you to comfortably manage your signature processes and send your documents to sign in 1 minute. It’s an ideal product for independent professionals and small companies, who are starting with electronic signatures or who are already working with some similar program and looking for an intuitive product, that offers superior legal security and with the fair price philosophy that characterizes eEvidence.

• eEvidSign API - The powerful electronic signature API that offers maximum flexibility to create custom and integrated signature experiences with client workflows, systems and environments. Ideal for medium and large companies that need a custom solution and aspire to provide a signature experience perfectly aligned with their excellent customer experience and brand standards.

The solution complies with the main regulations and regulatory frameworks globally, such as the eIDAS Regulation in the European Union, guaranteeing the admissibility of signatures you make with our application.

If you’re looking for a reliable, expert and honest provider, we’re your choice.

Welcome to electronic signatures!