Organizations are putting a lot of effort into enhancing their customers’ digital journeys. “However, all too often customers are not able to complete their purchase online – but that is easy to fix by offering the ability to make legally binding digital signatures,” says Tejas Lagad at identity and security company Nexus Group.
A customer’s digital journey consists of a number of digital touchpoints and interactions, and there is a lot to win if you make these as smooth and user-friendly as possible, according to Lagad, regional manager for Asia at Nexus.
“Companies have realized this, as they can clearly see how their efforts result in increased sales. But what some still have not realized is that they can increase their sales even more if they complete their customers’ digital journeys with digital signatures,” says Lagad.
If for example a customer has chosen an insurance product on the website of an insurer, she is much more likely to go through with the deal if she can do it directly online.
“However, it is still all too common to not give her that option. Instead, the company sends her a paper in the mail to sign, or tells her to go to the nearest branch or to wait for a call from an agent. There are different estimates for how many deals are lost this way, but one thing is clear: the return on investment from a digital signing solution is more than great,” says Lagad.
There are different methods of implementing a digital signing solution, but to be legally binding they have to be based on some form of digital certificates, according to Lagad.
“You can issue the certificates yourself, buy certificate issuance as a service, or point your customers to use certificates a trusted third party issues.”
You also need your infrastructure to accept and respond to the digitally signed applications and contracts, and you need reliable archiving.
“You can do this part yourself or buy it as a service – it is just a matter of preference. The important thing is that you get it in place as quickly as possible, so that you really can leverage your online services by utilizing the customer’s intent in the moment and complete the sale immediately. Digital signatures are what truly makes your customers’ digital journeys fast, convenient and secure,” says Lagad.