Privacy Policy

Who We Are

Our website address is: https://web-smith.us. Web Smith is a solo web development business specializing in building and fixing websites, managing Google Ads campaigns, and providing SEO services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.

Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us when you:

• Submit our contact form or request our services
• Communicate with us via email or phone
• Subscribe to our newsletters or communications

The types of information we may collect include:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Business name
• Business address and other contact information
• Any other information you choose to provide

We also automatically collect certain information when you visit our website, including your IP address, browser type, referring URL, and pages visited. This data is collected through Google Analytics 4 and is used to understand how visitors use our site.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide, maintain, and improve our services
• To communicate with you about your projects, service requests, and inquiries
• To send you technical notices, updates, security alerts, and administrative messages
• To process transactions and send related information, including invoices and confirmations
• To respond to your questions and customer service requests
• To analyze website usage and improve the user experience
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights

Note: We do not use your personal information for marketing purposes unless you have explicitly opted in to receive marketing communications.

Cookies & Analytics

Our website uses a limited number of cookies and similar technologies:

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors interact with our website. GA4 tracks page views, events, and general usage patterns. Google Analytics cookies are only loaded after you provide consent through our cookie consent banner. You can learn more about how Google uses your data at Google's Privacy Policy.

Google reCAPTCHA v3

Our contact form uses Google reCAPTCHA v3 to prevent spam submissions. reCAPTCHA may set cookies and collect usage data to distinguish humans from bots. This service is governed by Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Cookie Consent Preference

Your cookie consent choice is stored in your browser's localStorage under the key ws_cookie_consent. This is not a cookie and is not sent to our servers. It simply remembers whether you have accepted or declined analytics cookies.

We do not use login cookies, comment cookies, editing cookies, or any other cookies beyond those described above.

Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party service providers to operate our website and deliver our services. Each provider only receives the minimum data necessary to perform its function:

• Cloudflare — CDN, DNS, and D1 database used to store contact form submissions securely
• Resend — Transactional email delivery for contact form confirmations and notifications
• Google Analytics — Website usage analytics, loaded only after cookie consent is granted
• Google reCAPTCHA — Spam prevention on our contact form
• Stripe — Payment processing for services. Web Smith does not store your credit card or payment information. All payment data is handled directly by Stripe. For details, see Stripe's Privacy Policy.
• Hostinger — Web hosting infrastructure

These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us and are prohibited from using your information for their own purposes. Where required, we maintain Data Processing Agreements with our service providers to ensure your information is handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws. Your information may be processed on servers located in the United States.

Data Retention

Contact form submissions are retained for 2 years for business records purposes. Analytics data is retained per Google's default retention policies. You can request deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When we no longer need your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information
• Opt-out: You can opt out of receiving certain communications from us

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided at the end of this Privacy Policy.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, as well as the categories of sources from which such information is collected, the purpose for collecting such information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share such information.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell your personal information. If our practices change, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide you with the right to opt out.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your CCPA rights.

Under the CCPA, we collect the following categories of personal information:

• Identifiers (e.g., name, email address, phone number, business name, address)
• Commercial information (e.g., records of services purchased or obtained)
• Internet or other electronic network activity information (e.g., browsing history, IP address)
• Professional or employment-related information (e.g., business name)

To exercise your rights under the CCPA, please submit a request by contacting us using the information provided at the end of this Privacy Policy. We will verify your identity before processing your request.

European Visitors (GDPR)

If you are visiting from the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Legitimate interest: We process data submitted through our contact form in order to respond to your inquiries and provide our services.
• Consent: We process analytics data only after you provide consent through our cookie consent banner.

Your GDPR Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access: Obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Data portability: Receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw your consent for analytics at any time by clearing your cookie preferences
• Lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country of residence

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@web-smith.us.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS), secure database storage, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities in accordance with the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act (815 ILCS 530) and any other applicable laws. We will provide notification as promptly as possible and without unreasonable delay.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will delete such information from our systems.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the Effective Date at the top. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.