Privacy Policy

1. Who I am

This policy is for bengoodman.uk, the website of Ben Goodman, a sole trader based in Birmingham, United Kingdom. I design and build websites for local UK businesses.

For the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Ben Goodman is the data controller. Marketing emails and cookies are also covered by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

Questions: hello@bengoodman.uk.

2. What this policy covers

It explains how personal information is handled when you:

• Visit bengoodman.uk.
• Send the contact form or email hello@bengoodman.uk.
• Use the Website Checker and ask for a PDF report.
• Subscribe to email tips and guides.
• Hire me for website work.

3. Information collected

A. Information you provide

Personal information is collected when you choose to give it, for example when you:

• Submit the contact form.
• Subscribe to email updates (Insights signup or a free guide form).
• Use the Website Checker and request a PDF by email.
• Email hello@bengoodman.uk.
• Go ahead with website design or related work.

Depending on the form, that can include:

• Identity: name.
• Contact: email address, and a phone number if you share one.
• Business: business name, website address, package interest.
• Project and tool details: your message, Website Checker answers, score, and the report written from those answers.
• Email preferences: whether you asked for tips and guides.

B. Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, some technical and usage data may be collected through cookies or similar tools — only where needed for the site to work, or where you have agreed through the cookie banner:

• Technical data: IP address, browser and device type, and approximate location from IP where analytics tools provide it.
• Usage data: pages viewed, referring site, and events such as form submissions, used to understand and improve the site.

4. Legal bases for processing

Under UK GDPR, processing relies on one or more of these bases:

• Consent: marketing emails and non-essential cookies / analytics. You can withdraw consent at any time (unsubscribe link, Cookie preferences in the footer, or email hello@bengoodman.uk).
• Contract / steps before a contract: replying to enquiries, sending a Website Checker PDF you asked for, and doing paid work.
• Legitimate interests: running and securing the website, keeping basic records of enquiries, and improving the service — balanced against your rights.
• Legal obligation: where the law requires records to be kept (for example tax or accounting for client work).

PECR (marketing email): promotional emails are only sent where you have given a clear opt-in (for example a dedicated subscribe form, or an unticked marketing box on a form such as the Website Checker). Every marketing message includes an unsubscribe link.

5. How information is used

• Reply to enquiries and discuss website projects.
• Send emails you asked for (enquiry receipts, Website Checker PDF).
• Send occasional tips, guides, and free-tool updates only if you subscribed or separately opted in.
• Operate, secure, and improve the website (including analytics you consented to).
• Meet legal obligations and protect legal rights.

Contact and enquiry details are not added to the marketing list unless you opt in. Asking for a Website Checker PDF alone is a transactional request. Marketing emails on that form need a separate opt-in.

6. Services that process data

Personal data is not sold. It is shared with processors only as needed to run this site and the services you use:

• Vercel:hosting and deployment. Optional performance analytics (Analytics and Speed Insights) load only after you accept analytics cookies. Website Checker answers may also pass through Vercel's AI Gateway so a report can be written.
  Vercel Privacy Policy
• Resend: sending email — contact enquiries to me, receipts to you, Website Checker PDFs, and the mailing list (including unsubscribe).
  Resend Privacy Policy
• PostHog (EU): analytics hosted in the EU. Browser analytics load only after you accept analytics cookies. When you submit a form, a server-side event may also be recorded so I can see that the form worked. That event is not a cookie.
  PostHog Privacy Policy
• Google Tag Manager: may load extra analytics tags, only after you accept analytics cookies.
  Google Privacy Policy
• OpenAI (via Vercel AI Gateway): Website Checker answers and any website address you give are sent to an AI model to write the on-screen report and PDF. That is only to produce the report you asked for.
  OpenAI Privacy Policy
• Sanity: content management for site copy and Insights articles. Form submissions are not stored in Sanity.
  Sanity Privacy Policy
• Cookie choices: stored in your browser (local storage / a consent cookie) so the banner remembers what you chose.

International transfers: some providers process data outside the UK/EEA. Where that happens, appropriate safeguards are used where required (for example Standard Contractual Clauses or the UK IDTA), or an adequacy decision applies. PostHog analytics for this site are configured for the EU.

7. How long data is kept

• Enquiries and project email: for as long as needed to handle the enquiry and any resulting work, then deleted or archived when no longer required (typically up to 6 years for client financial records where relevant).
• Mailing list: until you unsubscribe or ask for deletion.
• Website Checker:the PDF is emailed to you. Related form data is not kept as a long-term client record. Analytics events follow the analytics provider's retention.
• Cookie choices: about 180 days in your browser, after which the banner may ask again.

8. Your rights

Under UK data protection law you can:

• Access a copy of personal data held about you.
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasedata in certain circumstances ("right to be forgotten").
• Object to processing, including for direct marketing (marketing stops when you unsubscribe or object).
• Restrict processing in certain circumstances.
• Port data you provided, where applicable.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, without affecting earlier lawful processing.

To use these rights, email hello@bengoodman.uk. For marketing emails, use the unsubscribe link in any message, or email the same address.

Complaints:you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (www.ico.org.uk). Please contact me first so I can try to sort it out.

10. Children

This site and its services are for adults running or representing businesses. They are not aimed at children under 16, and such personal data is not knowingly collected.

11. Changes

This policy may be updated when the site or processors change. The "Last updated" date at the top will change when that happens. The current version is always on this page.

12. Contact

Questions about privacy, cookies, or your data:

Ben Goodman
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Email: hello@bengoodman.uk
Website: www.bengoodman.uk