Privacy Policy and Information Notice | Effective Date May 18, 2025

Who we are

East West Designs is a division of Messy Life Media LLC, operating out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. Our founder, Gene Whitehead, is a web developer and certified SEO expert who has been specializing in WordPress development since 2015. At East West Designs, our passion lies in creating websites that are as functional and user-friendly as they are aesthetically pleasing. By integrating elegant design with advanced SEO strategies, we ensure that every site we build not only captives visually but also achieves high search engine rankings.

Our website is https://eastwestdesigns.net.

What personal data we collect and why we collect it

At East West Designs, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. Here's an overview of the information we collect and the reasons behind its collection:

1. Information You Provide:

  • Name and Email Address: Collected through forms via Forminator for the purpose of contacting you in response to your inquiries or service requests.
  • Phone Number (Optional): Collected for facilitating direct communication as needed.
  • Comments and Inquiries: Captured via forms to assist in understanding and addressing your specific needs and questions.
2. Data Collection Methods:
  • The above information is collected through online forms on our website.

3. Purpose of Collecting Personal Data:

  • We collect this data to efficiently communicate with you, respond to your queries, and provide services that meet your requirements.

4. Data Security and Usage:

  • We do not use third-party cookies or ad trackers, ensuring that your data remains confidential and private. This can be verified through Blacklight Real-Time Website Privacy Inspector.
  • Your information is securely managed using WordPress, Forminator, Solid Central, Solid Security, and Litespeed Cache, which help maintain the integrity and security of our site.

Your trust is important to us, and we are dedicated to safeguarding your personal information while ensuring a seamless user experience on our website.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on our site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection. This is essential for maintaining the quality and integrity of our discussion platforms.

Additionally, an anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to check if you are using it. If you have a Gravatar account, after approval of your comment, your profile picture will be visible to the public in the context of your comment. For more information, you can review the Gravatar service privacy policy at Automattic Privacy Policy.

By engaging with our comment section, you agree to this data collection and its intended purpose to ensure a respectful and useful discourse.

Media

When uploading images to our website, please refrain from including images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors to the site can potentially download and extract location data from the images you upload, which could compromise your privacy or the privacy of others depicted in the images.

Contact forms

We utilize Forminator for our contact forms to facilitate communication between you and East West Designs. When you fill out a contact form on our website, we collect the following information:

  • Name and Email Address: Required to identify you and respond to your inquiries or service requests.
  • Phone Number (Optional): Allows us to contact you via phone if preferred.
  • Comments or Messages: Enables us to understand the nature of your inquiry or feedback.

Purpose of Data Collection: The information collected through our contact forms is used solely for the purpose of responding to your inquiries, providing customer support, and processing service requests efficiently.

Data Security: The information you provide is stored securely and is not shared with third parties without your consent. We ensure that all data collected through Forminator is handled with the utmost privacy and care.

Your engagement and communication are important to us, and we are committed to handling your information responsibly.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device to enhance your browsing experience on our site. At East West Designs, we use cookies for the following purposes:

1. Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for WordPress to function correctly and include those that identify logged-in users and commenters.

WordPress Default Cookies:

  • wordpress_[hash]: Used to store your authentication details.
  • wordpress_logged_in_[hash]: Indicates when you're logged in, and who you are.
  • wp-settings-{time}-[UID]: Customizes your view of the admin interface and possibly the main site interface.

2. Analytics Cookies:

  • We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-friendly analytics tool, to gather anonymous statistics about website traffic. Plausible does not use cookies, ensuring your data is not tracked across websites.

3. Functionality Cookies:

  • Cookies may be installed by Forminator to remember your preferences as you fill out forms, enhancing your experience.

4. Social Media Cookies:

  • While our site links to X and LinkedIn, these platforms may set cookies if you engage with their services. These cookies are managed by the respective social media platforms and are beyond our control.

By using our website, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this section. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of our website.

Analytics

At East West Designs, we use Plausible Analytics to gather insights into how visitors interact with our website. Plausible Analytics is a privacy-centric analytics tool that operates without using cookies and does not track individual users. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Data Collection:

  • Plausible collects only aggregated data, providing insights into visitor numbers and general trends without identifying individual users. It does not store personal information or use tracking cookies.

2. User Privacy:

  • Since Plausible does not use cookies, there is no need for users to opt out of analytics tracking specifically on our site. Your privacy is respected, and no personal data is tracked.

3. Plausible Analytics Privacy Policy:

  • For more detailed information about Plausible’s data practices, you can visit their Privacy Policy.

By using our website, you acknowledge our use of Plausible for anonymous analytical purposes, enhancing our website and services based on aggregated insights.

Who we share your data with

At East West Designs, we are committed to protecting your privacy and only share your personal information with select third parties under certain circumstances, as outlined below:

1. Third-Party Service Providers:

  • We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers who assist in running our website and business operations. These providers are contractually obligated to handle your data securely and confidentially. Examples include our hosting providers and content management providers like WordPress.

2. Legal and Regulatory Authorities:

  • We may disclose your personal information to comply with applicable legal obligations, including responding to requests from government authorities, law enforcement agencies, or as required by law.

3. Business Transfers:

  • In the event of a business merger, sale, or acquisition, your information may be transferred as part of that business transaction. We will take steps to ensure that your privacy rights continue to be protected.

4. Social Media Platforms:

  • Our website may include links to social media platforms such as X and LinkedIn. When you engage with these platforms through our site, please be aware that those interactions are governed by the privacy policies of the respective platforms.

5. Anonymous Analytics:

  • We use Plausible Analytics to gain insights into how visitors use our site. This data is aggregated and anonymized, ensuring that no personal information is shared.

We ensure that any information shared with third parties is handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and take steps to limit the information to only what is strictly necessary for the intended purpose.

How long we retain your data

At East West Designs, we follow strict protocols to determine how long we retain personal data collected via WordPress and Forminator. Although we do not intentionally collect personal information outside of these tools, here’s how we manage the data:

1. Forminator Data:

  • Information submitted through contact forms, including comments or inquiries via Forminator, is retained for the period necessary to address your request and provide any required follow-up. We do not store this data beyond its intended use unless required for legitimate business or legal obligations.

2. WordPress Data:

  • Default WordPress logs, such as those for user login sessions or administrative controls, are retained according to WordPress retention practices. These data logs are used solely for site management and security purposes.
  • Comments data, if managed via WordPress, is typically retained indefinitely unless requested otherwise by the user. Users can request the removal of their comments by contacting us directly.

3. Analytics Data:

  • As we use Plausible Analytics—which does not utilize cookies or store personal identifiers—the analytics data we collect does not retain individual identifiers and is therefore not subject to the same retention criteria.

Your Rights and Data Deletion Requests: Users have the right to request the deletion of their personal data. If you wish to do so, please contact us, and we will make reasonable efforts to comply with your request, respecting any legal or regulatory requirements.

We are committed to maintaining your privacy and managing your data responsibly, only retaining what is necessary for providing our services effectively.

Where your data is sent

At East West Designs, we prioritize the privacy and security of your data. Here is an overview of where your data may be sent and how we ensure compliance with European data protection standards:

1. Data Transfers Outside the European Union:

  • Although our primary operations are based in South Dakota, USA, certain data may be transferred outside the European Union due to our use of web hosting and third-party services.

2. Web Hosting and Third-Party Services:

  • Our website is hosted on platforms that might operate their servers outside the European Union. We select hosting providers that comply with international standards for data protection, ensuring your data remains secure regardless of its location.

3. Data Protection Measures:

  • We safeguard all data by partnering with trusted providers that are either part of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (previously known as the Privacy Shield) or employ standard contractual clauses to ensure adequate protection.
  • These agreements include measures such as encryption, access controls, and secure data transfer protocols to maintain the privacy and integrity of your personal information as if it were within the European Union.

4. Compliance and Certifications:

  • We work with service providers who are committed to data protection under GDPR and other applicable regulations. They provide the necessary assurances and certifications to demonstrate their compliance.

By using our website and services, you consent to the transfer of your data as described here. We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is handled securely and in accordance with the highest data protection standards.

Contact information

East West Designs may be contacted directly using our contact form found on our dedicated Contact Page.

Data security practices

At East West Designs, we take the security of your personal data seriously and have implemented various measures to protect it from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our data security practices include:

1. Encryption:

  • We use encryption technologies to safeguard personal data both in transit and at rest, ensuring that it remains secure throughout its lifecycle.

2. Access Controls:

  • Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel only, with strict controls in place to monitor and manage access.

3. Regular Security Audits:

  • We conduct periodic security audits and assessments to ensure that our data protection measures are effective and up to date.

4. Data Minimization:

  • We only collect and retain personal data that is necessary for our operations and services, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

5. Awareness and Training:

  • All employees at East West Designs, as well as those within our parent company, Messy Life Media LLC, undergo regular training on data protection and privacy. This ensures they are equipped to handle your information responsibly and in compliance with relevant privacy standards.

While we strive to protect your personal data, please be aware that no security measures are infallible, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We encourage you to take precautionary steps to protect your devices and credentials as well.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

East West Designs is committed to keeping our privacy practices transparent and up-to-date. We review our privacy policy annually and may make changes to enhance our data protection measures and address legal requirements:

1. Annual Review:

  • We assess our privacy practices once per year to ensure they meet evolving legal standards and best practices for data protection.

2. Notification of Changes:

  • If significant changes are made to this policy, we will notify you by updating the policy on our website and providing a clear notice at the time of such updates.

3. Effective Date:

  • We will specify the effective date of any policy changes and encourage you to review the updated policy to stay informed about how we protect your information. The effective date is found at the top of this page.

By continuing to use our services after changes are made to this policy, you consent to the updated practices outlined therein. If you have any questions regarding changes to our privacy policy, please contact us for clarification.