The short version
We are a small web and software studio in Brighton. We collect a modest amount of information so we can run our website, answer your enquiries, and understand which businesses are interested in what we do. We do not sell your data, and we do not send junk. If you ever want to know what we hold about you, or want it deleted, just email us and we will sort it.
What we collect and why
1. Website analytics
We use Google Analytics (GA4) to see how people find and use this website: which pages are visited, roughly where visitors are, what device they use, and how they got here. This sets cookies in your browser and involves Google as a processor. It helps us understand what is useful and what to improve. It does not tell us who you are personally.
2. Enquiry and quote forms, and guide signups
When you fill in a form to get a quote, request a free preview, or download a guide such as our website checklist, we collect the details you give us, typically your name, email, and anything you tell us about your business. These forms are handled by Netlify Forms on our behalf. We use this only to reply to you and to send occasional useful updates if you asked for them. You can ask us to stop at any time.
3. Business-visitor insight
To understand which organisations are interested in our services, we use a third-party lookup that can identify the company associated with a visitor's IP address. This is company-level, business-to-business insight, for example "someone from a building firm in Sussex looked at our CRM page". It helps us follow up sensibly and shape what we offer.
This tells us about the business behind a visit, not about you as a named individual. We are not trying to identify people personally through it, and we do not build personal profiles from it.
4. The game leaderboard
One of our pages has a small game with a leaderboard. If you submit a score, we store the name or nickname you choose, which is shown publicly on the leaderboard, and your email, which we keep privately so we can verify entries and get in touch if you win something. Your email is never displayed to other players. Use a nickname if you would rather not show your real name.
Cookies
Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. We use them mainly for the analytics described above. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time. Doing so will not stop the site working, though our view of how the site is used becomes less complete. Where the law requires your consent for non-essential cookies, we ask for it.
Our lawful basis
Under UK data protection law we need a reason to use your information. Ours are:
- Legitimate interest for running our website, understanding the businesses interested in us, and responding to enquiries. We have weighed this against your rights and kept it proportionate and business-focused.
- Consent where it is needed, for example non-essential cookies and any marketing emails. You gave it by opting in, and you can withdraw it at any time.
- Performing a contract or taking steps before one when you ask us to quote for or carry out work.
Who we share it with
We do not sell your data. We share it only with the trusted providers that help us run things, such as Google (analytics), Netlify (hosting and forms), and our visitor-insight and email tools. Each acts on our instructions. We may also disclose information if the law requires it.
How long we keep it
We keep enquiry and form details for as long as we are in contact and for a reasonable period afterwards, usually up to two years, in case you come back to us, then we delete them. Analytics data is retained according to Google's standard periods. Leaderboard entries are kept while the game runs, and we clear them on request. If you ask us to delete your data sooner, we will, unless we are legally required to keep it.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- Ask what personal data we hold about you and get a copy.
- Have it corrected if it is wrong, or deleted when there is no good reason for us to keep it.
- Object to or restrict how we use it, including opting out of marketing.
- Withdraw any consent you gave, at any time.
To do any of this, email hello@pixelandshovel.co.uk and we will help. If you are not happy with how we handle it, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk, though we would rather you told us first so we can put it right.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle data, we will update this page and the date at the top. This is the current version.