Privacy Policy

Who I am

Northstar Marketing is the trading name of Raff Andrie C. Villaruz, a freelance SEO consultant working with small businesses worldwide. In this policy, "I" and "me" mean me, and "you" means anyone using this website. I am responsible for the personal information collected through it.

Questions about your information can go to [email protected], and I will answer them myself.

What I collect

What you send me. When you use a form on this site, I receive:

your name and email address
your business name, website, country and industry, if you add them
your message, and which form you used

If you email me directly or we work together, I also keep that correspondence and whatever you choose to share about your business.

What the site records on its own. Like every website, the servers this site runs on see technical details such as your IP address, browser type and the pages you request. These are used to deliver the site and to block abuse.

Analytics, only if you agree. If you accept analytics in the cookie banner, I also collect which pages are visited, how people arrived, the type of device and an approximate location at country or city level. I use this to see which pages are useful. It is never used to identify you personally.

I do not ask for, and do not want, sensitive information such as health or financial details.

How I use it

to reply to your enquiry and prepare the free audit you asked for
to deliver and manage work if you hire me
to keep records of our correspondence
to protect the site and its forms from spam and abuse
to understand which pages help people, if you accepted analytics

I do not add you to a mailing list, I do not send automated sales sequences, and I do not sell or rent your information to anyone.

If you are in the UK or the European Economic Area, the legal bases I rely on are: taking steps at your request before a contract (replying to an enquiry or preparing an audit), performing a contract (paid work), my legitimate interests (keeping records and protecting the site), and your consent (analytics). You can withdraw consent at any time.

A small number of trusted services process information on my behalf, only to run this site and reply to you:

Cloudflare hosts the site, protects it from attacks and runs the spam check on the forms.
Resend delivers form enquiries to my inbox.
Google (Google Analytics) and Cloudflare Web Analytics measure visits, only if you accept analytics.

These providers may process information outside your country, including in the United States. Where that happens, they protect it with recognised safeguards such as the European Commission's standard contractual clauses. I may also disclose information if the law requires it.

Cookies and analytics

This site sets no cookies unless you accept analytics. If you accept, Google Analytics may set cookies (named _ga and similar) that recognise a returning browser. If you decline, no analytics load at all.

Your choice is saved in your own browser so the banner does not keep asking. You can change your mind at any time with the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page.

How long I keep it

Enquiries that do not lead to work: up to 24 months, then deleted.
Client records: for as long as we work together, then as long as tax and business record-keeping rules require.
Analytics data: no longer than 14 months.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you can ask me to:

tell you what personal information I hold about you and give you a copy
correct anything that is wrong
delete your information
stop or limit how I use it, or object to that use
send it to you or another provider in a usable format

I will reply within one month and will not charge you for a reasonable request. I do not sell personal information or share it for targeted advertising, so there is nothing to opt out of on that front, including under Californian law.

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your information, please tell me first so I can put it right. You can also complain to your local privacy regulator, such as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the UK Information Commissioner's Office or the data protection authority in your EU country.

This site is not aimed at children under 16, and I do not knowingly collect their information.

Keeping it safe

The site is served only over an encrypted HTTPS connection, and the forms keep no copy of what you send on the website itself: it goes straight to my inbox. Only I have access to enquiries and client files. No system is perfectly secure, but I take reasonable steps to protect what you share.

Changes and contact

If I change this policy, I will update it here and change the date at the top. For any question or request about your information, contact me through [email protected]. The terms for using this site are in my terms and conditions.