Privacy Policy

Who we are

Sitemate Studio is operated by Ravi Kiran Malishetti, a UK-based sole trader trading as Sitemate Studio.

Data controller for this website: Sitemate Studio

Email: hello@sitematestudio.com

Phone: 07766 510877

Postal address: Flat 1, 23 The Limes, Station Road, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP22 5TZ

When Sitemate Studio builds or manages a client website that collects that client's customer data, the client is normally the data controller and Sitemate Studio acts as a data processor under a separate written agreement.

What this policy covers

This policy explains how we handle personal data when you:

• visit sitematestudio.com;
• send an enquiry or contact form;
• use the chat assistant;
• ask to receive website tips or updates;
• book or request a demo call;
• become a client or potential client;
• log in to and use the Studio Hub client portal;
• receive a business-to-business outreach message from us; or
• interact with a demo, report, proposal, website, or system prepared by Sitemate Studio.

It does not replace the privacy policy of any client website we build. Client websites should have their own privacy policy.

Personal data we collect

We collect only what we need for normal business operations.

Enquiries and contact forms

If you contact us, we may collect:

• your name;
• business name;
• email address;
• phone number if you provide it;
• website URL if you provide it;
• the content of your message;
• the form or page the enquiry came from; and
• basic technical data needed to deliver the form safely, reduce spam, and apply rate limits.

Do not send passwords, payment card details, bank details, government ID documents, or sensitive customer records through general email, chat, or website forms.

Newsletter and updates

If you ask to receive website tips or updates, we may collect your email address, subscription status, and suppression or unsubscribe records.

Calls, proposals, and client work

If we discuss or provide services, we may collect:

• business contact details;
• project requirements;
• website, hosting, domain, CMS, booking, and integration details;
• proposal and contract records;
• invoices, payment status, and accounting records;
• support requests; and
• messages, files, assets, or access details you send to us.

Chat assistant

If you use the chat assistant, we may process your name, messages, browser session ID, lead details you choose to submit, and optional email address if you ask for a copy of the conversation.

The chat assistant sends conversation content to our AI provider so it can generate a response. Chat transcripts are temporarily buffered so a review email can be sent to our team when the chat ends. If you opt in, a copy is also emailed to you.

The chat stores your name in your browser for up to 30 days so you do not have to re-enter it. It stores chat messages and opt-in email details in session storage, which normally clears when the browser session ends.

Website analytics

If you accept analytics, we may collect website usage data such as:

• pages viewed;
• device and browser type;
• approximate location at city or regional level;
• referral source; and
• interaction events such as clicks and scroll depth.

Analytics cookies only run if you accept them through the cookie banner or cookie settings control.

Business prospecting

Sitemate Studio may research publicly available business information for business-to-business outreach and lead qualification. This may include:

• business name;
• public website URL;
• public business contact details;
• business location;
• publicly visible website quality signals; and
• notes about whether Sitemate Studio services may be relevant.

We do not buy consumer marketing lists, scrape private customer data, bypass logins, or collect sensitive personal data for prospecting.

Studio Hub client portal

If you are a client on a Care Plan, we give you access to the Studio Hub, a private client portal at hub.sitematestudio.com. It is where you view analytics, site health, security and performance reports, invoices, and quotes, and where you raise requests. For the Studio Hub account and the client-relationship data in it, Sitemate Studio is the data controller.

To provide the portal we process:

• your name and email address;
• a password you set, stored only in hashed form, or a linked Google sign-in if you choose to use it;
• your account role and status;
• sign-in and session records, including session times, IP address, and browser or device information, used to keep your account secure;
• the projects, invoices, quotes, reports, requests, notifications, and analytics we maintain for your site; and
• a record of key actions taken in the portal.

Accounts are created by us, and you receive an email invite to set your password. Google sign-in, if enabled, only signs in an account that already exists; it never creates one. We do not use the Studio Hub or its analytics to make automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects. Lawful basis: performance of a contract and our legitimate interests in running the client relationship securely.

The site analytics shown in the Studio Hub are drawn from tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, PageSpeed, and PostHog for your own website, and are provided to you as reporting. This is separate from your website backend, where you log in to manage content and enquiries.

Where we get personal data from

We may receive personal data:

• directly from you when you contact us, use chat, book a call, send files, use the Studio Hub, or become a client;
• from your business website, Google Business Profile, public directories, public social media pages, Companies House, or other public business sources;
• from someone in your organisation who introduces you or includes you in a project;
• from referral partners or existing contacts, where they have a lawful reason to share your business contact details; and
• from service providers that help run the website, forms, analytics, bookings, CRM, payments, email delivery, chat, or automation.

How we use personal data

• Enquiry details - To respond to your message and discuss your project. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests / steps before a contract.
• Demo call details - To arrange and prepare for a call you requested. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests / steps before a contract.
• Client contact and project data - To deliver agreed services and support. Lawful basis: Contract / legitimate interests.
• Billing and accounting records - To invoice, receive payment, and keep tax records. Lawful basis: Contract / legal obligation.
• Newsletter and updates - To send requested updates and manage unsubscribe or suppression records. Lawful basis: Consent / legitimate interests.
• Website analytics - To understand and improve the website. Lawful basis: Consent for analytics cookies; legitimate interests for aggregated analysis.
• Cookie choice records - To remember your cookie choice in your browser. Lawful basis: Legal obligation / legitimate interests.
• Public business prospect data - To assess potential business fit and send relevant B2B outreach. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests.
• Chat assistant data - To answer chat questions, prepare lead details if you ask to be contacted, and send a transcript review email. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests / steps before a contract / consent where you ask for a copy by email.
• Security and spam-protection data - To protect the website, forms, chat, and systems from abuse. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests.
• Studio Hub account and portal data - To give you secure access to your portal, show your analytics, reports, invoices, and quotes, and handle your requests. Lawful basis: Contract / legitimate interests.

We do not sell personal data. We do not use personal data for third-party advertising.

Marketing and outreach

If you ask to receive updates, we may contact you using the details you provide. You can unsubscribe or ask us to stop at any time.

For business-to-business outreach, we may contact publicly listed business addresses or business contacts where we believe the message is relevant to the business. Every outreach message should make it clear who we are and how to opt out.

Sole traders and some partnerships have stronger electronic marketing protections than limited companies. Where we contact a sole trader, partnership, or individual business contact, we aim to do so only where we have consent, a relevant previous relationship, or another lawful route that applies.

You have the right to object to direct marketing at any time. We keep suppression records where needed to avoid contacting people or businesses that have opted out.

Who we share personal data with

We use trusted service providers (subprocessors) to run sitematestudio.com and the Hub client portal. They process data only where needed to provide their service.

Some providers may process data outside the UK. Where that happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as UK-approved transfer mechanisms, standard contractual clauses, adequacy regulations, or the provider's published data-transfer terms. You can ask us for more information about relevant safeguards.

We may also disclose information if required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect our legal rights.

Links to other websites

This website may link to third-party websites, platforms, booking tools, payment pages, social media profiles, or client websites. This privacy policy only applies to Sitemate Studio's own website and business operations. Other websites and platforms have their own privacy policies.

Client customer data

For client websites, Sitemate Studio may process customer enquiries, booking details, form submissions, or notification data on behalf of the client. In that situation:

• the client is normally the data controller;
• Sitemate Studio is normally the processor;
• processing should be covered by a written client agreement and data processing agreement;
• we process the data only for the agreed client website or system purpose; and
• we do not use client customer data for Sitemate Studio marketing.

How long we keep data

• Unsuccessful enquiries - Up to 24 months after the last meaningful contact
• Client records - For the client relationship, then up to 6 years for contract, tax, and legal records
• Proposal and sales notes - Up to 24 months unless a client relationship begins
• B2B prospecting notes - Up to 24 months unless you ask us to delete or suppress your details
• Newsletter records - Until you unsubscribe or the list is closed, with limited suppression records kept where needed
• Analytics data - Usually up to 14 months, depending on Google Analytics settings
• Cookie choices - Stored in your browser until you clear site data or change your choice
• Chat browser data - Chat messages and opt-in email are held in session storage; your chat name is stored for up to 30 days unless you clear site data
• Chat server transcript buffer - Normally deleted after the transcript email is sent, or expires automatically after a short period if the chat is abandoned
• Client customer data processed for a client - As set out in the client agreement or data processing agreement
• Studio Hub account - Kept while your Care Plan is active; after it ends, the account is closed and personal data removed or retained only as part of client records where required for contract, tax, or legal reasons

We may keep limited suppression records where needed to honour an opt-out request.

How we protect data

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures, including:

• HTTPS on the website;
• access controls for business systems;
• passwords for portal accounts stored only in hashed form;
• spam checks, honeypots, and rate limiting on forms and chat;
• environment variables or secure systems for credentials;
• limiting access to people and providers who need it; and
• avoiding storage of passwords, payment card details, or unnecessary sensitive data in this repository.

No internet service can be guaranteed completely secure, but we take reasonable care to protect the data we handle.

Automated decisions, AI, and profiling

We do not use personal data to make solely automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

We may use analytics, CRM notes, lead scores, or AI-assisted summaries to prioritise business development and improve our services. These are internal business tools and do not make final decisions without human review.

Children

Sitemate Studio services are aimed at businesses, not children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children through this website. If you believe a child has provided personal data to us, contact hello@sitematestudio.com and we will review it.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• ask us to delete your data;
• restrict how we use your data;
• object to certain processing, including direct marketing;
• receive a copy of data you provided in a portable format;
• withdraw consent where we rely on consent; and
• complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

To exercise your rights, email hello@sitematestudio.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

We aim to respond within one month. If a request is complex, UK data protection law may allow more time.

Rights may be limited in some circumstances, for example where we need to keep records to comply with law, establish or defend legal claims, honour an opt-out, or protect another person's rights.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please contact us first so we can try to fix it.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office:

• Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
• Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies. See the Cookie Policy for details.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the website, services, providers, or legal requirements change. The latest version will be posted on this page with the updated date.

Contact

Questions about this policy: hello@sitematestudio.com