The use of electronic signatures is becoming increasingly popular in today’s digital world. Electronic signatures (also known as esignatures) eliminate the need for physical signatures and paper and thus can save everyone time and money. It is electronic signature software that enables the ability to sign digitally. The word “software” can be intimidating especially if you are not comfortable with the use of technology whether it be in a tangible or intangible form. Most of the time simple is better. So when you have simple and effective electronic signature software, then life is good.
There is a lot of choice among electronic signature software. The best solution is the one that fits your needs. Some only enable signatures while others can integrate with other software such as customer relationship management systems, making it easier to manage customer relationships and documents. For example, RightSignature is a popular electronic signature solution for businesses. Many real estate and accounting firms use RightSignature to integrate the electronic signature component with their documents requiring signature. Some are expensive and require a monthly subscription while others are pay as you need with no subscription obligation. ESignToday is a good example of simple and effective electronic signature software. At just $0.50 for each esignature, eSignToday enables businesses and individuals to show electronic signatures on the last page of their own documents.
Esignatures solve a lot of issues created by paper documents.
Electronic signatures are a digital representation of a handwritten signature. They are becoming more popular as people are realizing how convenient they can be. One of the earlier uses of electronic signatures was in real estate. Today, people are using them for a variety of purposes ranging from signing contracts to sending notices. Compared to pen and paper, there are many advantages of electronic signatures.
Electronic signatures eliminate paper and printers. Getting rid of paper and equipment is helpful for the environment. It also helps people with decluttering and security. In many cases, saving an electronic file is easier and safer than managing paper.
Among the advantages of electronic signatures includes time savings. People can sign anywhere and anytime thus eliminating the need to meet in person. Additionally, all signed copies are provided electronically enabling much faster receipt of signed documents.
The overall convenience of electronic signatures drives its advantages. There are a lot of electronic signature services to choose from. They vary on price and complexity. For example, eSignToday is one of the least expensive and easy to use options. There is no monthly fee with eSignToday. Signatures are $0.50 each, and you upload your own document with no customization.
Electronic signatures eliminate paper and printers and help simplify.
A variety of documents requires signatures. Sometimes you have to sign a form to receive a package. Some documents can be lengthy and require a lot of signatures on things like a mortgage or lease agreement. Electronic signatures are a convenient way to sign documents. In many cases, you can sign remotely thus saving you time and money. At a minimum, you eliminate the time and expense associated with driving to and from a meeting. In addition to these savings, you can also simplify with electronic signatures and declutter.
Eliminate Paper
Electronic signatures eliminate paper. The physical collection of paper can be overwhelming. And with paper, you need a place to store it. You can use a filing cabinet or another piece of furniture for paper storage. You can also just take up space in your house just to stack the paper.
Paper Needs
With paper may come a printer. Printers take up space and have other requirements. For example, printers require paper and rely on ink. This means you need to carry an inventory of paper and ink for when your printer runs out of either. And if your printer stops working, you have to figure out a fix.
While paper is familiar and thus comfortable, it is clutter. You can simplify with electronic signatures because esignatures eliminate paper. When you rid of paper, you also rid of printers and storage units. And over time, paper and ink can deteriorate making documents harder to read. There are many esignature services available. Some as simple and cheap as eSignToday to more complex ones like RightSignature serve different needs. Both, however, eliminate clutter and simplify with electronic signatures.
How to choose an electronic signature service depends on what your needs are.
How to choose an electronic signature service depends on what your needs are. A high volume real estate broker will have different needs than an individual looking to sell their car to their next door neighbor. Ease of use, cost, and software integration are some considerations.
Ease of Use
If your document requires a lot of “fill in the blank” information from the signer, then you need an electronic signature service that allows you to place signatures where you need them. Customization can add complexity. While ease of use can help the document owner, it also applies to the ease in which the person can sign. Ideally, you want an electronic signature service that allows people to sign on their smartphone – while they are on the move and thus accessible.
Cost
The cost of esignature services can vary widely. They can range from a monthly subscription to a flat fee per signature. For example, Docusign prices their plans on a monthly basis starting at $10 per month. eSignToday, on the other hand, only charges $0.50 per esignature. If cost will determine how to choose an electronic signature service, it is important to understand how you will be charged.
Software Integration
Is it important for your esignature tool to integrate with a platform that drives your documents? If so, you’ll want to ensure that integration is possible and accessible to those involved. For example, a sales force may want to link the esignature tool with files that generate client reports. On the other hand, a very simple, stand alone electronic signature service may be the best fit for an individual user who needs one signature a year. Needs vary which drive how to choose an electronic signature service.
Esignatures for long distance landlords can make landlording easier.
Not living close to your rental property can be challenging. However, proximity does not determine landlording success or failure. If you are a long distance landlord, here are some tips to make landlording from afar easier. Having relationships with local professionals, using technology like esignatures for long distance landlords, and renting to a great tenant can be a recipe for landlording success.
Connect with Locals
As a long distance landlord, you are not physically present. To handle situations that arise, you need to rely on people who can be present and help you quickly, honestly, and successfully. Having an electrician, plumber, and handyperson that can address a situation quickly (and bill you later) will give you peace of mind. Adding to that local team could be a landscaper who will ensure your property looks good and is cared for. An alternative to organizing a local team would be hiring a property management company. It is important to interview a few to compare their services and fees.
Consider Technology your Friend
Technology can make the lives of long distance landlords easier. Something as simple as communicating with tenants by text or email can be easy and effective. Esignatures are another very simple yet powerful technology that makes document signing fast and easy. ESignToday is a cheap electronic signature service. At just $0.50 per esignature, long distance landlords can get leases, lease extensions, and other contracts signed without needing to be physically present. And since esignatures eliminate paper and printers, landlords contribute to saving the environment.
Take Time to Screen Tenants
Having a tenant you can trust, that will take care of your rental property, and pay rent on time is every landlord’s dream. Screening tenants become even more important for long distance landlords. Taking the time to review applications, interviewing tenants, and performing background checks become essential in an attempt to finding great tenants.
Simple tips for a long distance landlord include having a local team in place, esignatures for long distance landlords, and screening for great tenants. Today, landlords can be successful even when they do not live close to their rental property.
Technology can help tenants. Happy tenants can make landlord lives easier.
Much has been written on ways to help landlords succeed. This blog post is not wholly different other than taking the view of how to help tenants, and the role technology can play. Happy tenants can make landlord lives easier. If there are tools to make tenant lives easier, then both landlords and tenants win. Here are a few ways tenants benefit from technology.
Time savings is probably the biggest benefit tenants receive from technology. Starting with a virtual tour of the rental property, tenants (and landlords) save time by eliminating the need to meet in person. Landlords can create a simple video and upload it among other pictures of the rental property on online listing sites like Zillow.
Moving on to the lease, electronic signatures are another way tenants benefit from technology. Also known as esignatures, electronic signatures automate a traditionally manual process. They eliminate the need to meet in person to sign paper. In person meetings consume a lot of time. Electronic signature software automates the signing process and saves everyone time. For example, with eSignToday, you simply upload your document (the lease) and then email it to each person who needs to sign it. Each person can sign the lease on their phone wherever they are. A fully signed document where all signatures appear on the last page is available to everyone who has signed it.
A final example on how tenants benefit from technology is with smart appliances. For example, landlords can install keyless locks on their rental property. With keyless locks, tenants do not have to keep track of a key. Depending on the type of lock, tenants can use a code or their smartphone to open and lock doors.
Esignature software is available for individual and enterprise-level users.
The ability to review and sign documents electronically is a huge benefit for all parties involved. Electronic signatures eliminate paper and printers, and they save time. You no longer need to meet in person for signatures. Additionally, you can deliver signed documents immediately by email. Federally compliant esignatures are valid and legally binding, so they are treated similarly to how a paper-based handwritten signature would be treated. When you search the Web for “esignature”, “electronic signature”, or “digital signature”, there are a lot of different providers. Each provider has its own pros and cons, so factors like cost, ease of use, and notifications will drive decisions. Here is a snapshot of the best esignature software today:
Best Esignature Software Highlights
Software
Highlights
eSignToday
– Inexpensive esignature @ $0.50 each – Upload own document – Signatures and dates on last page – No complex drag and drop or field completion required
– Plans range from $20/month to $50/month – Features, like custom branding, vary by plan
DocuSign
– Early entrant in esignature industry – since 2003 – Vast feature set and good for complex esigning needs – Plans start at $15/month
RightSignature
– Early entrant like DocuSign – Plans start at $15/month but need to call to get started
Esignature Software Details
eSignToday
eSignToday sets itself apart from other esignature software because of its low cost and simplicity. At just $0.50/esignature, there are no monthly fees with eSignToday. You pay for each signature that you need. eSignToday walks you through four steps. You upload your own document and then add the email address for each person who needs to esign. Afterwards, esignatures appear on the last page with each signer’s printed name date. With eSignToday, you eliminate the complexity of adding fields and expecting signers to complete those fields.
HelloSign
Now part of DropBox, HelloSign has you first upload your document. Thereafter, you have to drag and insert fields like names and dates into the areas of your document you want signed. HelloSign has different pricing plans including a free version with a maximum of three signatures per month. After their free version, plans start at $20/month (or $15/month if you pay the annual amount up front).
SignNow
Similar to HelloSign, you drag and drop fields throughout your documents. SignNow focuses its products on the business/enterprise user, and their pricing plans reflect such. Starting at $20/month and going up to $50/month (billed monthly), each plan varies in the features available to the user such as custom branding and bulk sending. If you need a lot of signatures, SignNow’s plans are a consideration.
DocuSign
The granddaddy of esignature software is DocuSign. DocuSign has evolved beyond simple esigning into document automation and contract analytics. Its feature set is vast and geared for complex esigning needs. DocuSign has a number of plans. Each plan is priced differently and ranges from esignature plans to API plans. DocuSign’s least expensive plan starts at $15/month (or $10/month if you pay annually).
RightSignature
RightSignature offers a variety of options for companies to upload documents and drag and drop fields within the document. Though RightSignature has plans starting at $15/month ($10/month if you pay annually), you have to call them to get started.
Conclusion
We have highlighted the best electronic signature software, however, there is a lot of choice when it comes to selecting the best tool for you. Cost and ease-of-use, for instance, will play a role in your decision to select one over the other. Free trials or cheap esign services, like eSignToday, allow you to try out different esignature services without breaking the bank. More complex and feature-rich software like DocuSign and RightSignature may satisfy your needs, however, these providers charge a higher price. Nevertheless, the list of electronic signature software grows. Esignature tools are available for the individual user all the way up to the enterprise-level user.
Electronic signatures and other services can benefit individuals.
With new ideas and advancements in technology, there are more services available today to individuals. In other words, you do not need to form or be a business to benefit from things like electronic signatures and other services. We’ll take a look at a few services that can meet individual needs.
Esignature Services
In the beginning, most electronic signature software was geared towards businesses. The real estate industry was one of the first adopters of esignatures due to the number of documents that needed to be signed. Today, there is a lot of choice and variety of esignature services. Businesses tend to be the primary customer for these services. There are some, fortunately, that are good fits for individuals. Frequency and complexity come into play when addressing the needs of individuals versus those of a business. Compared to businesses, most individuals tend to need just a few signatures a year. For example, if you want to sell your car, you may want to draw up a bill of sale where the buyer and you sign it to confirm the transaction. Most electronic signature software charges users on a monthly basis whether you use the esignature service or not. For example, DocuSign‘s least expensive paid plan is $10/month, which is overkill for an individual who only needs one or two signatures a year. On the other hand, eSignToday charges a flat rate of $0.50/esignature. So there is an inexpensive affordable electronic signature service available for individuals.
Money Transfers
If you owe a friend money, most would pay the friend back in cash later on. If the amount owed is large, you might give your friend a check. Well, that was then. Money transfer apps are now. Money transfer apps enable individuals to transfer money directly between bank accounts. They make the owing of money to friends cashless, easy . . . and fast. Two popular money transfer apps are Zelle and Venmo. Zelle requires both parties to have a bank account that is part of the Zelle network. Generally speaking, money transfers occur within minutes, and Zelle and Venmo generally do not charge the sender or receiver.
Electronic signatures and other services, like money transfer apps, are beneficial for individuals.
Esignatures can cater to the specific needs of small and large businesses.
Great technology can be enjoyed by all. While esignatures are heavily used among some of the larger markets, like real estate, they are also growing in popularity and usage among small businesses and individuals. Electronic signatures help automate processes saving everyone involved time and money. In recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some businesses viewed esignatures as a lifeline to maintain operations. They could still receive necessary signatures on documents while keeping people safe to sign at home. Esignatures for small and large businesses can fit any size business. Each business just needs to find the best esignature service for their needs.
Price
There are many electronic signature services available. One way in which some of them differ is on price. Most of the esignature software requires a monthly subscription. For example, DocuSign starts at $10 per month for a single user and limits the number of documents for signage to five per month. Another popular service is Adobe. It’s electronic signature pricing is also based on a monthly subscription. If you need a lot of esignatures on a regular basis, then a monthly subscription makes sense.
For smaller businesses, the need for an electronic signature may not be as frequent. This is where flat rate pricing would be important. With a flat rate, you only pay for each esignature you need. If there are months during the year when you do not use this service, you are not charged anything. eSignToday is a flat rate electronic signature service. It charges $0.50/esignature. Pricing is one simple flat rate. So when it comes to pricing, services for esignatures for small and large businesses can vary based on price.
Ease of Use
Similar to pricing, ease of use can vary widely among the available esignature software. Some of the more complicated software tend to cater to the needs of large businesses. With most esignature software, you have to either upload your document or create a new one (some offer templates to get you started). Some require customization of the document where you have to drag and insert fields such as names and dates into the areas of your document. This type of customization is a feature desired by some, but it adds a level of complexity. Others offer no customization. For example, eSignToday offers one functionality – the ability to get electronic signatures on documents. With eSignToday, you complete a few easy steps:
Upload your document
Email the document to each person who needs to sign it
View a fully signed document where all signatures appear on the last page.
So when it comes to ease of use, services for esignatures for small and large businesses can vary based on the level of customization you need.
Electronic signature pricing can be based on a monthly subscription or flat rate.
Electronic signatures are also know as esignatures. They are the solution for fast and easy signing because they eliminate delays and enable anyone to sign while on the move. People can sign on a phone, tablet, or laptop. Esignatures are also environmentally friendly as they eliminate printers and paper. There is a lot of different esignature software to choose from, and they can vary based on things like ease of use and electronic signature pricing.
Monthly Subscription
Most of the esignature software requires a monthly subscription. For example, DocuSign starts at $10 per month for a single user and limits the number of documents for signage to five per month. Another popular service is Adobe. It’s electronic signature pricing is also based on a monthly subscription. If you need a lot of esignatures on a regular basis, then a monthly subscription may work for you.
Flat Rate
In addition to a monthly subscription, electronic signature pricing can also be found as a flat rate. With a flat rate, you only pay for each esignature you need. If there are months during the year when you do not use this service, you are not charged anything. eSignToday is a flat rate electronic signature service. It charges $0.50/esignature. Pricing is one simple flat rate. eSignToday is available to anyone who needs a document signed.
