OK, so the private spy firms of Verbanski Corp and Carmichael Industries aren’t really real. But they are on Chuck, and that’s good enough. This philosophy is behind a pair of websites recently released by NBC. Company sites for both Carmichael and Verbanski have popped up, giving us a look into what makes these two competitors tick.
Since a company’s website is the main way that customers learn about a business these days, it seems best to rate the Verbanski and Carmichael websites in areas of style, content and usability.
Click here to visit the websites for Carmichael Industries and for Verbanski.
Style
Verbanski
Much like the company itself, Verbanski’s website is stylish, slick and fairly devoid of details. Check out the site’s main image below:
Nice, isn’t it? Just the kind of image you want to portray when luring clients into spending millions of dollars on private security and espionage.
Carmichael
How does the website for Carmichael Industries compare?
While obviously the friendlier and more informative of the two, Carmichael Industries is missing a little something when it comes to style. Where Verbanski had cool, faded dots, Carmichael has lines. And a green bar. It’s just not exciting!
Winner in Style
Verbanski. Definitely Verbanski.
Content
Verbanski
The slick website for Verbanski finds itself somewhat lacking when the user hunts for actual information. It’s great to know that Verbanski is prepared for “any and all challenges,” but that’s hardly specific. Even the services listed sound like little more than security buzzwords.
The website is a little better when it comes to Gertrude Verbanski herself. After all who wouldn’t want to hire a two-time decathlon champion? Still, one must wonder why no one else appears to work for the company.
Carmichael
Judging from the website, Carmichael Industries is all about communication. The extensive textual explanations given on the “Services” page offer clear security examples, and the “Our Team” page includes fun biographies of the spies. Hiring from Carmichael Industries clearly brings both espionage experience and gourmet Japanese cooking to the table.
Winner in Content
There’s not much on the Verbanski website, so the easy winner in this category is Carmichael Industries.
Usability
Both websites feature a limited menu of options, making for a simple but sometimes frustrating experience. How are we supposed to hire these people anyway? While Verbanski does offer a client login page, it seems to be disabled at the moment. Carmichael, on the other hand, only has a “Career Opportunities” page. Were it actually possible to submit an application, this feature would be a little better.
Winner in Usability
Carmichael Industries seems friendlier and more likely to include a “Contact Us” button in the future. So we’ll give this one to them.
Overall
By a hair, Carmichael Industries wins out over Verbanski in the battle of the websites. But isn’t that always the way it seems to go?
Want more Chuck scoop? Check out our Chuck Ultimate Fan Page on Facebook.
Chuck season 5 airs on NBC Fridays at 8pm.
(Images courtesy of NBC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Laurel grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, Grosse Pointe, MI and Bellevue WA. She then went on to live in places like Boston, Tucson, Houston, Wales, Tanzania, Prince Edward Island and New York City before heading back to Seattle. Ever since early childhood, when she became addicted to The Muppet Show, Laurel has watched far too much TV. Current favorites include Chuck, Modern Family, Supernatural, Mad Men and Community. Laurel received a BA in Astrophysics (yes, that is possible) from Colgate University and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and History of Science from Columbia University before she realized that television is much better than studying.
