DHL which has been operational since 1969 is a world leader in express delivery and courier services. They provide a wide range of services ranging from air to land transportation of packages. DHL comprises several companies around the world, which is one of the reasons for its success as a leader in courier services. Its service excellence is also evident in the DHL website. A website analysis will show why the company is also doing well with Internet Marketing.

The colour yellow is dominant throughout the website and the DHL logo is displayed prominently. A copyright notice is to be found at the bottom of the homepage. The DHL website provides one of the easiest navigation systems available. Apart from the search facility which is always available a help function is also present to ensure quick assess to assistance. The comprehensive sitemap is a further indication of their focus on Internet Marketing and client service at the same time.

Although packed with useful tools and information, the DHL website does not create a feeling of clutter. It supports a wide range of browsers and even when the resolution is at the lowest setting, you will not have to do any side-scrolling. The standard web fonts have been used for easy reading. More site help is provided under the services section to ensure that users can find the appropriate service with the least amount of time and effort.

The contact options are numerous making it possible to locate a DHL near you and to find whatever information required. A background on the company is provided showing their excellent track record. All links work and although only a few ALT tags are supplied with images, it hardly seems needed as full text explanation is provided underneath each of the images.

The images are static, but in no way boring. They are used in conjunction with text to explain services. It will however, be helpful and will increase the user experience at the DHL website if a virtual assistant is provided or some videos to explain processes in a visual manner.

The main menu is on top of the pages and when clicking on one of the categories, the sub menu appears at the left side of the page. One drawback is the fact that there is no home page button. Anchor text links are provided on long pages and printable versions of all the pages are available.

Users will delight in the functionality of the website which includes valuable tools such as a DHL locator, the ability to personalize pages, a DHL time clock, currency calculator, and the several methods provided to track shipments. The personalization of the settings is excellent as the forms can be completed quicker and the client taken to the relevant DHL pages immediately. There are PDF format downloads available, but links to the free Adobe software would help the user.

The main page is only 634 kb making for exceptional fast loading time. If it is an indication of the speed of service and delivery to be expected by DHL, then the customer will not be disappointed. Even with the slowest Internet access technology it still loads under 8 seconds in total. This is also excellent for search engine optimisation. The DHL website includes a Meta tag with relevant keywords such as express, express services, ocean freight and more. The company name appears in the domain name which promotes online branding. The Meta tag description is concise, but descriptive and includes keywords found in the Meta tag.

The DHL website boasts a Google Page Rank of 7 placing it in the upper top scorers. From the website analysis results we can see why. The site has a sitemap, makes use of static images, contains enough wording and the keywords are prominent. It also contains an easy to follow navigation system and ample opportunity to locate information. It does however, lack interactivity such as a forum and it will even boost its traffic if it makes use of referral options.

It has a total of 4450 incoming links at the time of website analysis (May 4, 2008) which also contributes to good search engine placement. Compared to other websites in the same service category, the DHL website surpasses expectations of service, speed, comprehensiveness, and user-friendliness. In terms of SEO the website does well. If you need any form of courier services for business documents or packages whether local or international, then you should visit the DHL website where all your requirements will be met and where you can find the service required.