Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are (Data Controller)

Allerton Digital is the trading name of Josh Fraser-Shaw, a sole trader based in England (“Allerton Digital”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). We provide web design, search engine optimisation, and digital consulting services throughout the United Kingdom.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Josh Fraser-Shaw is the Data Controller responsible for your personal data collected through this website (allertondigital.co.uk) and related business communications.

Contact email for data privacy queries: hello@allertondigital.co.uk.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary to communicate with you, respond to enquiries, deliver digital projects, and run our website securely:

• Contact and Project Enquiries: When you complete our contact forms or email us directly, we collect your full name, business name, email address, telephone number (if provided), and any information or project specifications you include in your message.
• Client Account & Billing Data: If you engage our services, we collect invoicing details, business billing addresses, registered company numbers, and payment transaction records (we do not store debit/credit card numbers directly).
• Technical & Site Usage Data: Subject to your consent, we use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymised technical metrics such as device type, browser type, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and general geographic location (at country or regional level). IP addresses are anonymised and we do not track individuals across third-party websites.

3. Lawful Bases for Processing

Under UK GDPR Article 6, we process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Contractual Necessity: To prepare quotes, enter into agreements, deliver agreed web design and SEO deliverables, and manage ongoing monthly retainer accounts.
• Legitimate Interests: To respond promptly to initial enquiries, maintain business records, protect our infrastructure against spam or security incidents, and manage our commercial operations in a reasonable and proportionate manner.
• Consent: For non-essential analytics cookies and measurement scripts. You have the right to grant, refuse, or withdraw consent at any time via our Cookie Preferences controls.
• Legal Obligation: To maintain accurate tax and accounting records as required by HMRC and UK statutory authorities.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal information strictly to:

• Review your enquiry and provide a clear assessment or formal quote.
• Deliver web design, development, and search marketing services as agreed.
• Issue invoices and process payments.
• Communicate with you regarding project progress, milestones, and technical recommendations.
• Ensure website security, maintain uptime, and monitor overall aggregated site performance.

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information with third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

5. Third-Party Service Providers (Data Processors)

We may share minimal necessary data with trusted third-party service providers who act as data processors supporting our business operations:

• Cloud Hosting & Infrastructure: Secure web hosting and content delivery network providers.
• Email & Communications: Secure email infrastructure used to communicate with prospective and active clients.
• Accounting & Banking: UK banking institutions and bookkeeping software used for financial administration and HMRC compliance.
• Web Analytics: Google Analytics 4 (Google Ireland Limited / Google LLC) for anonymised measurement data, activated only after consent.

Where data is transferred outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure appropriate safeguards (such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use strictly necessary storage to keep our site running and maintain your consent state. With your explicit consent, we also use Google Analytics cookies.

For a complete description of each cookie, its duration, and how to change your settings at any time, please read our dedicated Cookie Policy.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

• General Enquiries: Retained for up to 12 months after the last correspondence, unless an ongoing engagement develops.
• Client Project & Financial Records: Invoices, project scope documents, and accounting records are retained for up to 6 years following the end of the relevant tax year to comply with UK statutory accounting obligations.
• Analytics Data: Retained in Google Analytics according to standard 2-month or 14-month user data retention settings.

8. Your Legal Rights Under UK GDPR

Under UK data protection laws, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You can request that we delete your data where there is no compelling legal reason for us to retain it.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to suspend processing in specific circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request the transfer of your data to another provider in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent (such as analytics), you can withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please email hello@allertondigital.co.uk. We respond to all valid requests within one calendar month.

9. Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we ask that you contact us first so we can resolve the issue promptly. You also have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the UK supervisory authority:

10. Contact Details