Privacy Policy

Introduction

The Collective Dot ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website thecollectivedot.com and provides conversion optimization and experimentation services. We respect the privacy of our website visitors, prospective clients, and clients, and we are committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding your data. By using our website or engaging our services, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

What Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with our website or services, you may provide:

• Contact information: name, email address, company name, and website URL (collected through our contact forms, audit purchase flow, and strategy call booking)
• Business information: business model, monthly traffic estimates, conversion goals, analytics platform details, and pages you want analyzed (collected through our onboarding forms)
• Payment information: billing details processed securely through Stripe (we do not store your credit card information on our servers)
• Communications: any messages, questions, or feedback you send us via email or forms

Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• Usage data: pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, and navigation paths
• Device information: browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device type
• Location data: approximate geographic location based on IP address
• Cookies and similar technologies: as described in the Cookies section below

Client Engagement Data

When you engage our services, we may access:

• Analytics data: read-only access to your Google Analytics (GA4) or similar analytics platforms, as authorized by you
• Behavioral data: read-only access to session recording tools (such as Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar), as authorized by you
• Performance data: conversion rates, funnel metrics, and other performance indicators relevant to the engagement

This data is accessed solely to deliver the services you have purchased and is handled under the terms of your service agreement.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Service delivery: to perform the conversion audits, diagnostics, and experimentation programs you have purchased
• Communication: to respond to your inquiries, send engagement updates, and deliver reports
• Website improvement: to understand how visitors use our website and improve the user experience
• Business operations: to process payments, manage client relationships, and maintain records
• Marketing: to send relevant information about our services, only with your consent (you can opt out at any time)

We do not use your personal information for automated decision making or profiling that produces legal effects concerning you.

Conversion Intelligence and Data Anonymization

Our Conversion Intelligence system is a structured database of experiment outcomes organized by industry, funnel stage, and page type. It is important to understand:

• Your business data is never shared with other clients. We do not share your analytics, conversion rates, test results, or any identifiable business information.
• Only anonymized structural patterns are documented. Conversion Intelligence captures what types of changes tend to produce results on what types of pages in what types of industries. No client-identifiable information enters this system.
• You retain full ownership of your data. All reports, findings, and deliverables produced during your engagement belong to you.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies on our website. Here is what we use and why:

Essential Cookies

Required for the website to function properly. These do not collect personal information and cannot be disabled.

Analytics Cookies

We use Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how visitors interact with our website. This helps us improve the experience. Google Analytics collects anonymized usage data. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Payment Cookies

Stripe, our payment processor, uses cookies necessary to process transactions securely.

We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking technologies. We do not sell or share your data for targeted advertising purposes.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell your personal information. We share your information only with the following categories of recipients, and only as necessary:

• Payment processor: Stripe, to process payments securely
• Analytics provider: Google Analytics, to understand website usage
• Scheduling tools: Calendly or similar, when you book a strategy call
• Form providers: Tally or Typeform, when you submit information through our forms
• Email services: to send transactional emails related to your engagement
• Cloud infrastructure: to host and deliver our website and services

All third-party service providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

We may also disclose your information if required by law, to comply with legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of The Collective Dot, our clients, or others.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy:

• Website visitor data: anonymized analytics data is retained according to Google Analytics default settings
• Inquiry and contact data: retained for up to 24 months after your last interaction, unless you request earlier deletion
• Client engagement data: retained for the duration of the engagement plus 36 months for reference, reporting, and legal compliance. Read-only analytics access is revoked promptly after engagement delivery unless otherwise agreed.
• Payment records: retained as required by applicable tax and financial regulations

You may request deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us at info@thecollectivedot.com.

Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure communication protocols (HTTPS)
• Read-only access to client analytics (we never modify your data or settings)
• Secure payment processing through Stripe (PCI-DSS compliant)
• Access controls limiting who within our team can view client data

No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. We will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities promptly in the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights.

Your Privacy Rights

For All Users

• Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: request deletion of your personal data
• Objection: object to certain types of processing
• Withdrawal of consent: withdraw any previously given consent at any time

For California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising)
• Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights

For European Economic Area, UK, and Swiss Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have the right to:

• Access, correct, or delete your personal data
• Restrict or object to processing
• Data portability (receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format)
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

Our legal bases for processing personal data under GDPR include: performance of a contract (service delivery), legitimate interests (website improvement and business operations), and consent (marketing communications).

International Data Transfers

We are based in the United States. If you access our website or services from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. We take appropriate measures to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this policy regardless of where it is processed.

Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 16, we will delete it promptly.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us:

Email: info@thecollectivedot.com
Website: thecollectivedot.com

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.