The Heathrow Airport website from BAA scores 100% on its website analysis because the website meets all the requirements of a well-planned web design catering to the needs of its audience.

The overall impression is that of neatness and consideration for its users. Although packed with useful information and services, the Heathrow Airport website is not cluttered and leaves enough open space for easy reading. BAA has surely made every possible effort to promote communication whether through flash animation, images, help on where you are at the website, or through full contact details and several options for finding information.

The website complies with requirements for accessibility in terms of people with hearing, visual or cognitive disabilities. The Heathrow Airport website as online facility for communication with clients is one of the best airport websites on the Internet. It shows that BAA is committed to client service.

The website makes use of the standard XHTML 1.1, Flash animation, audio, and cascading style sheets. The main menu is at top of the web pages while the secondary menu is on the left side which is quite standard and thus improves familiarity with the lay-out. Users will never get lost as a home page link is clearly visible on each page and a “You are here” message displayed to help with orientation. Most of the links also have titles for more information and no dead links were found. Links to external websites open in a window on top of the page and thus ensures that the user never leaves the Heathrow Airport website without being able to return.

Where speech browsers are required full instructions are provided and links to controls given. The web design features a help link on top of the website should assistance be required with usage of the site. The site includes the copyright notice, a terms and conditions page, as well as a privacy and accessibility page. The site can also be navigated through the use of access keys making it possible for a person without a computer mouse to browse as well. The web design supports a wide range of browsers and little or no side scrolling is required.

Even though JavaScript is present the website is still operational if the JavaScript is disabled, making it an extremely user-friendly and browser friendly site. All the images include descriptive Alt tags and are only used when complimenting information on the site. Readability is important for the overall experience and as such the Heathrow Airport website scores well in the website analysis. It employs relative fonts which can be adjusted to ensure that the user can read the text.

Just as with images, videos and other tools on the website, even the colour choice has been influenced by consideration for the user. The background is mostly white and proper contrasting has been used to improve readability. Although the user may need to download a PDF file at some point, a link to download the tool is then provided.

Unlike many websites which rely heavily on Flash animation to portray important messages, the Heathrow Airport website design has used videos and moving images only where required. Users without the required Adobe Flash player see a static image and can thus still find information and use the site.

Even audio files have PDF transcripts and if you are looking for a user-friendly site, then the Heathrow Airport website can be recommended. There is even a language selection option which reflects the main European languages. A sitemap is provided, which ensures quick navigation if needed and plays an important search engine optimisation role.

Users can find all the essential flight information, search through the site, make bookings, find terminals, maps of terminals, restaurants, routes to and from the airport all at one extremely functional and well designed website. Advice and tips on planning the trip, the option to receive flight schedules on your mobile, and the ability to book parking are some of the other reasons for giving it a high website analysis score. When it comes to useful information, resources, and tools the Heathrow Airport website is a leading example of excellent web design. Even weather forecasts can be obtained.

The website also includes its main keyword in the domain name, title, and Meta tag description. It boasts a Google Page Rank of 7 at the time of website analysis (May 4, 2008) and an Alexa Rank of 23 621. With hundreds of incoming links, a search engine friendly web design, well optimised site and its functionality, it deserves a top ranking. The Heathrow Airport website competes for keywords such as BAA, Heathrow, airports, airline, travel, and more.