Are Electronic Signatures Safe for Your Business?

Are electronic signatures safe? You've probably found yourself Googling this question at midnight, staring at the stack of contracts that need your attention. The short answer to your question is—yes! Not only are electronic signatures legally binding, but they're actually more secure than that pen-and-paper signature sitting on your desk.

Questioning its legitimacy? We get it—With your reputation, client relationships, and business growth on the line—it's completely natural to do so.

But let's talk about the reality you're facing right now: those late-night printing sessions, the frustration of chasing missing signatures, and valuable time lost tracking document versions across endless email threads.

Ready to make the switch but need some reassurance? This guide will walk you through why digital signatures aren't just secure but how they work behind the scenes to protect your documents while helping you close deals faster and work smarter.

Understanding modern electronic signatures

If your current process of seeking a signature from clients starts with printing doc, signing, scanning, emailing, following up, printing again (because someone missed a page), and repeating again— you aren't alone.

It’s tiresome, it’s painfully inefficient, and every time you do this, you're using yesterday's solution for today's business needs. Not to forget that wet signatures can easily be tampered with, forged, or lost in the endless paper shuffle—leaving your business vulnerable.

It's no wonder businesses are rapidly abandoning ink for more secure alternatives. The electronic signature market is set to hit USD 14 billion by 2026 (Deloitte). Curious about what happens behind the scenes when you click 'sign'?

When someone signs your document electronically, the system creates a unique digital fingerprint of your document and locks it with advanced encryption using what's called a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Think of PKI as a digital trust network—similar to how banks verify transactions, it ensures every signature is authentic, and every document remains tamper-proof.

When you send a document for electronic or digital signature, you're creating more than just a legally binding agreement. You're building a verified chain of trust. This means every signature is:

• Uniquely tied to the signer—Like a digital fingerprint that can't be copied
• Permanently linked to your document—Creating an unbreakable connection between signer and agreement
• Instantly verifiable—Anyone can confirm the signature's authenticity in seconds
• Protected from tampering—Any changes after signing are immediately detected

What makes this truly powerful is that all this security works automatically. You don't need to understand the complex encryption or verification processes happening in the background. Just like sending a secure message on your phone, the technology handles all the heavy lifting while you enjoy a smooth, simple signing experience. Simply choose a trustworthy tool to create e-signatures and let it do its thing.

But using electronic signatures effectively and securely is nothing without the best practices— so ensure you choose multiple signing options, simplify the client experience, and prioritize security and compliance, among other things.

How electronic signatures protect your business relationships

When it comes to protecting your business relationships, electronic signatures transform everyday friction points into opportunities to impress your clients and partners. And while security is just the beginning of what makes this switch so powerful, businesses are discovering that going digital isn't just safer—it's the key to stronger business relationships.

The shift is already happening. Businesses worldwide are moving away from the frustrating dance of print-sign-scan and seeing the benefits of a seamless digital experience that matches how we work today. Here's what's driving this change:

• Customers expect digital-first experiences —Just like they pay bills through mobile apps, they expect to sign documents with the same ease. Meeting these expectations isn't just about convenience—it's about showing clients you value their time.
• Growth without the growing pains—As your client base expands, electronic signatures keep your operations smooth and professional. Your systems scale effortlessly while maintaining the personal touch that won you your first customers.
• Everything in one place —Forget jumping between tools. Modern solutions, including Qwilr, bring proposals, signatures, and tracking together, turning document chaos into organized confidence.

Now, let's look at how different teams are strengthening their client relationships:

For sales teams, chasing signatures is the speed bump that kills deal momentum. Your discovery call went great, and the prospect was excited, but then the contract process stalled everything. By the time you've printed, signed, scanned, and emailed—your hot lead has gone cold.

Instead of being the rep known for those "Just checking on that signature..." emails, you're the one spending valuable time building relationships and exceeding targets. Sales deals won't wait for you, so it's important to strike while the deal momentum is high. With electronic signatures, you can send that contract during your discovery call and have it signed before your next meeting.

For freelancers and consultants, your business lives and dies by responsiveness and professionalism. Your biggest client needs an urgent scope change, and in the old world, you'd be scrambling for a printer, delaying the inevitable.

Instead of apologizing for delays, you're now the consultant who makes things happen. With electronic signatures, you can send that revised contract from your phone and get it signed instantly, maintaining the professional edge that keeps clients coming back.

For customer success and RevOps teams, contract management can be a relationship killer. Putting a client on hold while you hunt through endless email threads for the right version of their contract isn't just frustrating—it's preventable.

Instead of being buried in paperwork, you have every document at your fingertips. Electronic signatures transform your document chaos into a streamlined system that lets you focus on what matters: nurturing client relationships.

Your checklist for selecting the perfect e-signature solution

Now that you understand how e-signatures can transform your business relationships, the big question remains: how to choose the right solution? While most options offer basic signing capabilities, the real value lies in finding a complete solution that grows with your business. When picking an electronic signature platform, look out for the following:

• End-to-end document management

Think about your last deal—how many different tools did you jump between to get it closed? Most businesses juggle multiple platforms: one for creating proposals and another for tracking, signatures, and storage.

This scattered approach not only increases costs but creates gaps where deals slow down. With Qwilr, you can create impressive proposals with customizable templates, collect legally binding signatures, and track every document's journey from draft to signed—all from one tool. 

• User-friendly experience

Remember the last time you tried implementing new software? The weeks of training, the frustrated team members, the delayed projects? Qwilr flips that script, allowing you to insert agreements and add e-signature fields with just a few clicks.

You can sign from any device, maintain your brand identity effortlessly, and let your team focus on closing deals.

While other solutions can take months to implement, Qwilr gets you up and running in just 15 days [Based on G2's comparison of top 10 proposal software solutions).

• Flexible signing workflows

Every business has its unique signing dance—maybe your contracts need multiple approvals, or perhaps you send hundreds of similar documents each month. That's where Qwilr can help you adapt to your rhythm. With our tool, you can set up multiple signers, create reusable templates for common scenarios, and automate your workflows with powerful integrations.

Need to send a formal, plain-text-agreement alongside your proposal? Done. Need to send documents in bulk? Done. Want detailed analytics on your signing processes? Also done. But that’s not all. We also offer a comprehensive audit trail tracking every interaction, ensuring you are compliance-ready and prepared for any questions about who signed what and when. From simple one-off signatures to complex approval chains. 

• Enterprise-grade security

When you deal with clients, security isn't just a feature. That's why security isn't an add-on feature at Qwilr but the foundation of everything we do. We've built a comprehensive security framework that gives you peace of mind:

• Bank-level encryption and tamper-proof audit trails that protect every document
• PCI-DSS compliance and SOC 2 Type 2 certification for proven security standards
• Full compliance with the E-SIGN Act and UETA requirements for legally binding signatures
• GDPR and DPR compliance to protect data privacy
• Plus, rigorous internal controls that keep your information safe

Have questions about our security? We believe in transparency, so ask away. You can also check our Trust Dashboard anytime to see our current security status and compliance updates.

How businesses are winning with Qwilr’s electronic signatures software

Want to see what innovative businesses are achieving with electronic signatures? Here's how Law Squared is using electronic signatures along with proposals to create exceptional experiences for both clients and team members.

Their traditional process may seem familiar:

• Create contracts using different tools
• Convert to PDF for signing
• Use tools like AdobeSign for signatures
• Manage multiple platforms for tracking and storage

While this got the job done, it created a disjointed experience that didn't reflect their innovative approach to law. They needed a solution that would delight both clients and team members with modern technology—all in one platform.

"Most tools on the market today rely on web documents for collecting electronic signatures," explains Nam Truong from the Digital and Innovation team.

"These web docs are basically PDFs with a signature block. They capture signatures, but they're limited."

That's where Qwilr transformed Law Squared’s workflow. Beyond just collecting signatures, we provided:

• A modern web-based experience that matches their innovative brand
• Seamless integration with their existing tools
• Mobile-friendly interface for signing anywhere
• Complete visibility into document status and history

Just like Law Squared, you can transform your document workflow from a time-consuming process into a powerful business tool.

Create impressive proposals, collect legally binding signatures, and track everything in one secure platform—whether you're looking to accelerate your sales cycle, enhance client experience, or simplify compliance—Qwilr helps you create, send, and track documents that work as hard as you do.