Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Smarterhacks.com collects, uses, stores, and protects information about visitors and subscribers. By using this website, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. We collect only what we need, we are transparent about how we use it, and we do not sell your personal information to third parties.

1. Information We Collect

1a. Information You Provide Voluntarily

We collect information you provide directly when you:

• Subscribe to our email newsletter via an opt-in form on the Site
• Contact us through a contact form or by email
• Download a lead magnet or free resource from the Site

The information collected in these cases typically includes your name (if provided) and email address. We do not require you to provide more information than is necessary to fulfill your request.

1b. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit Smarterhacks.com, certain information is collected automatically through cookies, analytics tools, and standard web server logs. This may include:

• Your IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited on this Site and time spent on each page
• Referring website or search query that brought you to this Site
• Date and time of your visit

This information is used in aggregate to understand how visitors use the Site and to improve our content and user experience. It is not used to identify individual visitors.

1c. Affiliate Link Tracking

Some links on this Site are affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link, the third-party affiliate network may use cookies to track whether you make a purchase. This tracking is handled by the affiliate program (for example, Impact, ShareASale, or FirstPromoter) and is subject to their respective privacy policies. We receive commission data but do not receive your personal payment information.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To send you our newsletter and email communications you have opted in to receive
• To deliver lead magnets, free resources, or digital products you have requested
• To analyze Site traffic and improve content quality and user experience
• To comply with legal obligations
• To respond to questions or inquiries you submit through our contact form

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

3. Email Marketing and Communications

Smarterhacks.com uses Beehiiv and/or Kit (ConvertKit) to manage our email list and send newsletters. When you subscribe to our email list:

• Your email address and any other information you provide is stored on Beehiiv’s and/or Kit’s servers, subject to their respective privacy policies.
• You will receive periodic emails from Smarterhacks.com including newsletter issues, tool recommendations, and promotional content. All promotional emails will include affiliate disclosures where applicable.
• You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email. Upon unsubscribing, your email address will be removed from our active mailing list.
• We do not sell, rent, or share your email address with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Smarterhacks.com uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how you use the Site.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Required for the Site to function properly. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Used to collect aggregate data about how visitors use the Site. We use Google Analytics for this purpose. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at analytics.google.com/analytics/optout.
• Affiliate cookies: Set by third-party affiliate networks when you click affiliate links. These track whether purchases are made after clicking our links.

You can control cookie settings through your browser. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some features on this Site.

5. Third-Party Services

Smarterhacks.com uses the following third-party services that may collect or process data about you:

• Google Analytics: Website traffic and behavior analytics. Privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy.
• Beehiiv: Email newsletter management. Privacy policy at beehiiv.com/privacy.
• Kit (ConvertKit): Email list management and automation. Privacy policy at kit.com/privacy.
• Affiliate networks (Impact, ShareASale, FirstPromoter, PartnerStack): Commission tracking for affiliate links. Each network has its own privacy policy.
• WordPress and hosting provider: Site infrastructure and server logs.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies directly.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

• Email subscribers: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Contact form inquiries: Retained for up to 12 months after the inquiry is resolved.
• Analytics data: Retained in aggregate form per Google Analytics default retention settings (up to 26 months).

Upon your request, we will delete your personal information from our systems within 30 days, subject to any legal obligations that require us to retain certain data.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Right to opt out: Unsubscribe from our email list at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email.
• Right to data portability: Request your data in a portable format where technically feasible.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at mark@smarterhacks.com. We will respond to all requests within 30 days.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you may have additional rights under GDPR. If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the CCPA. Contact us to exercise these rights.

8. Children’s Privacy

Smarterhacks.com is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at mark@smarterhacks.com.

9. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures include:

• SSL encryption on all Site pages (HTTPS)
• Secure third-party email platforms with industry-standard security practices
• Limited access to subscriber data — only the Site owner has access

No method of data transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the Last Updated date at the top of this page.

Your continued use of Smarterhacks.com after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. We recommend reviewing this page periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Email: mark@smarterhacks.com

Website: Smarterhacks.com

Business: Smarterhacks LLC

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States