Website Audit for bullrunventures.com
1. Initial Website Assessment
We've reviewed bullrunventures.com to understand its current structure and messaging:
The homepage leads with a clear tagline: "Trusted Advisors: Driving Strategic Growth & Financial Clarity," indicating a focus on fractional CFO and advisory services.
Key service offerings are prominently listed: Fractional CFO Services, Forecasting & Budgeting, Entity Structuring, Loan Consulting.
Testimonials provide social proof from clients who have benefitted from their guidance and streamlined reporting (Chris Giroux, Adam Copenhaver, William Davidson).
Contact details including phone, email, and address appear in multiple places; the footer shows “© 2021 Bull Run Ventures, LLC,” which suggests the website may not have been updated recently.
Key observations:
Strengths: Clear service messaging, straightforward navigation, client testimonials, and contact accessibility.
Areas for improvement:
The design and visuals appear dated and text-heavy.
The year in the footer (“2021”) signals outdated content and lowers perceived credibility.
There’s little visual or interactive engagement—no imagery, graphics, or multimedia to draw in a modern visitor.
2. Proposed Audit Structure
Here's how we structured the audit report:
Usability & UX
Navigation clarity—are services intuitively grouped?
Responsiveness on mobile devices.
Engagement—call to action (CTA) prominence, contact forms, loading speed, accessibility.
Visual & Branding
Overall look & feel (colors, typography, layout).
Alignment with financial advisors' tone—trustworthy, professional, but approachable.
Visual hierarchy and breathability—balance text with imagery or icons.
Content
Messaging consistency across pages.
Freshness of content (e.g., update year in footer, add recent case studies or insights).
Voice and tone—positioning Bull Run as a strategic partner for growth.
SEO & Technical Performance
Page titles, meta descriptions, headings structure (H1/2).
Alt tags on images, if any, and schema markup.
Performance metrics (load time, mobile speed).
Competitive Benchmarking
Review 2–3 websites of similar fractional CFO/advisory firms for modern standards and differentiation.
3. Suggested Look & Feel
For the redesign, here’s a conceptual direction:
Visual Theme
A clean, modern layout with balanced white space.
A palette of strong yet approachable colors—e.g. navy or dark teal (trust), with accent tones (e.g. green or gold) for CTA highlights.
Bold, friendly typography (e.g. sans-serif headers with serif body copy for authority).
Homepage Layout
Hero Section: High-res background image (e.g. collaborative finance team), headline (“Strategic Finance...”), and bold CTA (“Let’s Talk”).
Services Grid: Icons + brief intros under each category—Fractional CFO, Forecasting & KPIs, Loan Structuring, Entity Structuring.
Why Choose Us: A succinct “Our Approach” section with 3–4 bullets (e.g., scalable CFO leadership, actionable insights, flexible engagements).
Client Success: Rotating testimonials with photos or logos.
Latest Insights: Blog snippet or resource downloads (e.g., “5 KPIs Every CEO Should Track”).
Footer: Updated year (“2025”), clear nav links, contact info, and perhaps a newsletter signup.
Other Page Enhancements
Services Page: Expand each service with concise bullets and diagrams for visual clarity.
About Page: Team bios with headshots, credentials, and friendly intros (Up-to-date Photo shoot recommended).
Contact Page: Map widget (if helpful for locals), streamlined form, and alternate contact pathways (e.g. scheduling calendar link).
4. Next Steps
The detailed audit report, structured around the sections above.
Mock up a homepage wireframe or visual concept (We can develop this visually or outline layout in document form).
Provide recommendations for quick wins like updating the year, adding hero imagery, and optimizing the mobile experience.
Let us know how we can:
Prioritize any particular service or message (e.g., fractional CFO vs. forecasting).
Include downloadable resources or downloadable assets.
Target specific audiences (e.g. industries or business sizes).
Brandiscover™ Website Layout for Bull Run Ventures
1. Header / Hero Section
Purpose: Immediately show what Bull Run Ventures does and how it helps.
Headline: “Clarity in Your Numbers. Confidence in Your Growth.”
Subtext: We provide fractional CFO and advisory services so you can stop guessing and start growing with confidence.
Primary CTA (button): “Schedule a Call”
Secondary CTA: “See How We Help”
Background: Professional but approachable imagery ie: business owners collaborating, financial clarity in action (not generic stock charts)
2. The Problem (Empathize with the Customer’s Pain)
Headline: “Running a business is hard when the numbers don’t add up.”
Pain points in bullet form:
You’re making big decisions without financial clarity.
Budgeting and forecasting take too much time.
Lenders expect accurate reports you don’t have.
Growth feels risky instead of exciting.
3. The Guide (Position Bull Run Ventures as the Trusted Partner)
Headline: “We’ve been in your shoes.”
Brief credibility statement: Our advisors have decades of experience helping small and mid-size companies turn uncertainty into confidence.
Visuals: Team photos, logos of companies served, or a simple credibility badge section
4. The Plan (Simple Steps to Work with Us)
Keep it to 3 steps for clarity:
Schedule a Call. We’ll discuss your goals and challenges.
Get a Clear Financial Plan. Forecasting, reporting, and strategies tailored to your business
Grow with Confidence. Make decisions backed by numbers you can trust.
Visual: Simple 3-step graphic with icons
5. Value Proposition (What Success Looks Like)
Show transformation
Headline: “With financial clarity, you can…”
Bullets:
Make confident decisions
Secure funding when you need it
Align your team with clear KPIs
Focus on growth instead of spreadsheets
6. Testimonials / Proof
Rotating testimonials with headshots or company logos
Optional: Add a “Client Stories” page with success video shorts
7. Services Section (Clarify Offerings)
Headline: “Advisory Services That Fit Your Stage of Growth”
Use service cards with icons:
Fractional CFO
Forecasting & Budgeting
Loan Consulting
Entity Structuring
Reporting & KPIs
Each card: 1–2 sentences max + “Learn More” link
8. Call to Action (Repeat)
Reinforce CTA in multiple places with the same phrase: “Schedule a Call.”
Button style: Strong accent color (teal, navy, or gold)
Final nudge: “Stop making decisions in the dark. Get the clarity you need to grow with confidence.”
9. Footer
Updated copyright year
Contact info + social links
Optional: Email signup with a lead magnet (e.g., free download: “5 KPIs Every CEO Should Track”)
Design Style Suggestions
(Brandiscover™ look & feel)
Modern, minimalist, lots of white space
Colors: Navy/dark teal (trust), gold/green accents (growth, confidence)
Typography: Strong sans-serif for headers, clean serif for body (trustworthy + modern)
Use lifestyle/business collaboration imagery instead of abstract stock finance graphics
Proposed Website Redesign for Bull Run Ventures
Using our Brandiscover™ Model
Phase 1: Website Audit & Strategy
Deliverables:
Full audit of existing site (design, content, UX, SEO, technical)
Competitive analysis (2–3 peer websites)
Brandiscover™ strategy document: customer journey, messaging framework, wireframe outline
Timeline: COMPLETE (gratis, valued at $1,200)
Phase 2: Design & Content
Deliverables:
Homepage + interior page wireframes (Brandiscover™ structure)
Updated copywriting for all key sections (Homepage, About, Services, Contact)
Visual design mockups (desktop + mobile)
Timeline: 1-2 weeks
Phase 3: Website Development
Deliverables:
Fully developed WordPress (or Squarespace/Wix if preferred) site with up to 8 pages
Responsive/mobile optimization
SEO setup (meta tags, headings, image alt text, site speed improvements)
Basic analytics
Timeline: 2-3 weeks
Phase 4: Video & Media Add-Ons (Optional)
Deliverables:
3-4 short brand videos (client testimonials, services overview, or leadership message)
Still photography + drone footage for website and social media
Still photography for staff and staff interaction images
Timeline: 2 weeks (overlaps with web development) Additional budget needed)
Phase 5: Launch & Support
Deliverables:
Quality assurance testing across browsers/devices
1-2 hours of training for internal staff, as necessary
30 days of post-launch support
Timeline: 2-3 week
Ongoing Support (Optional)
Website hosting, security, backups, updates, content & SEO updates
Total Investment (Phases 1-3)
$6,500 (approx. 3-4 weeks from kickoff to launch)
Optional Add-ons
Phase 4: On-site Photography/Video $800-$2,500
Ongoing Support: $1,250/annually
This structure gives Bull Run Ventures a clear start-to-finish roadmap: Audit → Strategy → Design → Build → Launch, with optional ongoing marketing support to keep your website fresh.