Privacy Policy

Forged Digital Design ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website forgeddigitaldesign.com and provides web design and development services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit our website or use our services.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We collect information you provide directly to us, such as when you:

• Fill out contact forms or request quotes
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Communicate with us via email, phone, or other methods
• Engage us for web design or development services

This information may include your name, email address, phone number, company name, and project details.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system and device type
• Pages visited, referring URL, and session duration
• Approximate geographic location (derived from IP address)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide requested services
• Send project updates, invoices, and service-related communications
• Send marketing communications such as newsletters (only with your consent)
• Analyze website traffic and improve our services
• Prevent spam and protect the security of our website
• Comply with legal obligations

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect or process your data:

Google Analytics (GA4)

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our website. Google Analytics collects information such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and session duration using cookies. This data is processed by Google LLC. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

Netlify

Our website is hosted on Netlify, which automatically collects server access logs including IP addresses, browser information, and device identifiers. See Netlify's Privacy Policy.

Resend

We use Resend to deliver email notifications when you submit a contact form. Your email address and form data are transmitted to Resend for email delivery. See Resend's Privacy Policy.

Cloudflare Turnstile

Some of our forms use Cloudflare Turnstile for spam protection. Turnstile processes session data such as your IP address and browser characteristics to verify you are a human visitor. It does not use cookies or harvest data for advertising. See Cloudflare's Privacy Policy.

Google Fonts

Our website loads fonts from Google Fonts, which transmits your IP address to Google's servers when pages are loaded. See Google's Privacy Policy.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses the following cookies:

• Google Analytics cookies (_ga, _ga_*) — Track website usage and visitor behavior. Expire after 2 years.
• Cookie consent cookie — Remembers your cookie preference. Session-based.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Declining cookies may affect some website functionality. Our cookie consent banner allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies when you first visit our site.

5. Do Not Track

Our website does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" (DNT) browser signals because there is no industry-standard technology for recognizing DNT signals. If a standard is adopted in the future, we will update this policy accordingly.

6. Email Communications and CAN-SPAM Compliance

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we will send you periodic emails about web design tips, technology trends, and business strategies. In accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act:

• We will not use false or misleading subjects or email addresses
• We will identify marketing messages as advertisements where required
• We will include our physical mailing address in emails
• We will honor unsubscribe requests within 10 business days
• Every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link

To unsubscribe, click the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or contact us directly.

7. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With the third-party service providers listed in Section 3, solely to operate our website and deliver our services
• When required by law, subpoena, or legal process
• To protect our rights, safety, or property
• With your explicit consent

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through our website, secure hosting infrastructure, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

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

• Contact form submissions: Retained for the duration of any resulting business relationship, plus 3 years
• Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Analytics data: Retained according to the default retention periods of each analytics platform (typically 14–26 months)
• Client project data: Retained for the duration of the engagement plus 3 years for legal and tax purposes

10. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to know: Request what personal information we have collected about you
• Right to delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to opt out: Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (we do not sell your data)
• Right to correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

These rights are provided under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), and similar state privacy laws including those in Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and other states with comprehensive privacy legislation. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in Section 14.

11. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will notify affected individuals in accordance with South Carolina law (Section 39-1-90) and any other applicable state notification laws in the most expedient time possible.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

13. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 18, we will promptly delete it.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, contact us:

• Email: contact@forgeddigitaldesign.com
• Phone: (843) 619-7394
• Location: Bluffton, South Carolina, USA