Privacy policy

1. Who we are

Tech for Trades, trading as Websites for Heroes ("we", "us"), builds and hosts websites for small businesses. This page explains what personal information we collect, why, and your rights. For questions, email [email protected].

2. What we collect

When you use our order form or contact form: your name, business name, email, phone number, business details (such as services, prices, opening hours, area, social links and Companies House details), and anything you type to us or upload, such as a logo or photos.

If you choose your business on Google: the public details of that listing, such as its name, address, rating, review count and reviews.

When you pay: Stripe takes your card details directly. We never see or store your full card number. We receive confirmation of payment, your email and the plan you bought.

When you visit: your browser keeps your progress on the order form on your own device so you can come back to it. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits. It does not use cookies or track you across sites, and we do not use advertising cookies.

3. Why we use it, and our legal basis

To build, host and run your website and take payment: this is needed to carry out our contract with you.

To answer your messages and send order updates: our legitimate interest in running the business, and your request.

To keep records for accounts and tax: a legal obligation.

To show you a preview website we prepared with your business’s public details: our legitimate interest in offering our service to businesses. You can ask us to stop at any time.

To send you offers or news by email or text: only with your consent, which you can withdraw whenever you like.

4. Who we share it with

We use other companies to run the service. They only get what they need: Cloudflare (hosting and security), Stripe (payments), Google (business listings and reviews, and fonts shown on our pages), Microsoft (our email and team messages) and an AI writing service, which receives the business details you give us so it can write the wording for your pages. We do not sell your information, and we do not allow these companies to use it for their own marketing.

Some of these providers are outside the UK. Where they are, we rely on safeguards such as the UK’s approved data transfer terms.

5. If you are a client: your customers’ data

If your website collects details from your customers (for example, booking enquiries), you decide why and how that data is used and we handle it for you, following your instructions. You are responsible for telling your customers how you use their details.

If you send marketing emails or texts to your customers through us, you must have their permission and include a way to opt out.

6. How long we keep it

While you are a client, and then for up to 6 years for accounting and legal claims. Order form progress held on your device stays until you clear it. Preview websites we prepare for businesses are deleted after 7 days if not taken up. Enquiries and messages that don’t lead to an order are deleted after 12 months.

7. Your rights

You can ask to see the personal data we hold, correct it, delete it, restrict or object to how we use it, or receive a copy you can move elsewhere. Email [email protected] and we will reply within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please tell us first. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

8. Cookies and similar technology

We only use storage that is needed to make the site work, for example to remember your order form answers on your device. Google Fonts are loaded from Google, which means Google sees your internet address when a page loads. Stripe may use its own cookies on the payment form to prevent fraud.

9. Changes

We will update this page if we change how we use your data, and show the date below.