Last updated: June 2026. This policy explains how Forge Digital Marketing collects, uses and protects your personal information when you visit forgedigitalmarketing.co.uk or get in touch. We handle your data honestly and keep it safe.
Who we are
Forge Digital Marketing is a family-run web design and marketing business based in Middlesbrough, Teesside, operating as a sole trader. We’re the “data controller” for your personal data — in plain terms, the people who decide how it’s used and look after it. For any privacy question, or to request the name of the business owner, email contact@forgedigitalmarketing.co.uk.
What we collect
- What you give us: when you use our contact form we collect your name, email address and your enquiry. If you email us, we receive whatever you choose to send.
- Collected automatically: like most websites, our hosting keeps basic server logs (such as IP address and browser type) for security and to keep the site running. We don’t use these to identify you.
We don’t use advertising cookies, and we only use analytics cookies if you give consent (see the Cookies section below).
How we use it & why
We use your details only to:
- reply to your enquiry and discuss your project — lawful basis: your consent and our legitimate interest in answering people who contact us;
- provide a service if you become a client, including proposals and invoices — lawful basis: performance of a contract;
- keep our website secure and working — lawful basis: legitimate interest.
We will never sell your data or send you marketing you didn’t ask for.
Who we share it with
We don’t sell or rent your data. We use a few trusted providers who help run the business, and your data may pass through them:
- Hostinger — website hosting and email.
- FormSubmit — delivers our contact-form messages to our inbox.
- Google Fonts — displays the site’s fonts and may receive your IP address as the page loads.
- Ecologi — provides the tree-planting badge shown on our site.
Each only processes your data to provide their service to us. We may also disclose information if the law requires it.
How long we keep it
We keep enquiry messages only as long as needed to deal with your enquiry and a reasonable period afterwards in case you get back in touch. Client records, including invoices, are kept for up to 6 years to meet UK tax and accounting rules. You can ask us to delete your data at any time.
Cookies
Our site only sets cookies that are strictly necessary for it to work, plus a small cookie that remembers your cookie choice. We don’t use advertising cookies. When you first visit, a banner asks whether you’re happy for us to use optional analytics cookies — these are only set if you click “Accept”, and you can change your mind any time using “Cookie settings” in the footer.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to: ask for a copy of the data we hold about you; correct anything wrong; ask us to delete it; restrict or stop our processing; object to processing based on legitimate interests; and receive your data in a portable format. To use any of these, email contact@forgedigitalmarketing.co.uk and we’ll respond within one month.
Complaints
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, please contact us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or 0303 123 1113.
Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version is always on this page, with the date it was last changed shown at the top.
Rooted in Teesside
