Landing at an Enhanced Digital Experience

Meet the Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

YVR is a community-based, not-for-profit organization and world-class sustainable hub airport in Vancouver, British Columbia. Welcoming over 26 million visitors annually from all corners of the world, YVR is committed to continuous improvement and regional support.

YVR’s dedication to excellence has earned them the title of Best Airport in North America for 11 consecutive years, reflecting its status as a world-class sustainable hub.

Managing High Influxes of Web Traffic

As one of Canada's busiest airports, YVR faces the daunting task of managing an exceedingly high volume of online traffic. With over 40,000 unique visitors per day and more than 400 concurrent users on their website, putting a constant strain on the site’s performance.

In a world where digital platforms play a crucial role in customer satisfaction and operational efficiency, the challenge of maintaining optimal website performance is critical for YVR. Ensuring fast load times and responsive user interactions is essential in maintaining YVR's reputation and facilitating a seamless digital experience for all travellers.

High-Flying Success with Fishtank and Cloudflare

Fishtank’s primary goal with this Sitecore upgrade was to significantly improve YVR’s website performance to handle high traffic efficiently, without compromising on speed or security. This involved optimizing page load times, improving Time to First Byte (TTFB), and reducing operational costs related to content delivery and bandwidth.

Our team, leveraged our expertise in infrastructure optimization and implemented Cloudflare to tackle YVR's performance challenges. By utilizing Cloudflare's extensive content delivery network (CDN) and web optimization features, YVR's website achieved remarkable improvements in speed and efficiency.

This strategic partnership between YVR, Fishtank, and Cloudflare led to outstanding performance improvements for the YVR website. The benefits included:

• Enhanced User Experience: Visitors to the YVR website now enjoy faster, more responsive interactions, improving overall satisfaction and engagement.
• Cost Efficiency: The dramatic reduction in CDN and bandwidth expenses demonstrated that high performance does not have to come at a high cost, proving the efficacy of the optimized cloud infrastructure strategy.
• Scalability and Security: The solution not only addressed current performance needs but also ensured that YVR's digital infrastructure is scalable and secure, ready to accommodate future growth.

Streamlining Sitecore Training at YVR Airport with a Custom Digital Portal

We developed a custom digital training portal for Vancouver International Airport (YVR), revolutionizing how new marketing team members are onboarded and trained on Sitecore, their content management system. Recognizing the need for efficient training to ensure new hires could effectively manage the website's content, our team crafted a tailored solution.

The portal features detailed instructions and training videos covering all aspects of content authorship within Sitecore, designed for both beginners and seasoned users. This innovative approach not only streamlines the learning process but also empowers the YVR team to maintain and update their digital offerings efficiently, marking a significant advancement in internal training practices.

Inclusive Skies — YVR's Journey to Enhanced Web Accessibility

With a commitment to inclusivity, YVR recognized their need for a website to be accessible to all users. This goal was a matter of compliance and central to YVR's identity as a community-based organization. Partnering again with our team, YVR embarked on a mission to identify and eliminate accessibility barriers, aligning the website with AA WCAG 2.1 standards. The implementation began with an accessibility audit and incremental enhancements to the site's usability to achieve compliance. This expanded YVR’s reach and positively impacted user satisfaction and loyalty through a more accessible digital presence.

Utilizing Sitecore to Achieve the Performance YVR Needs

Over a five-year partnership, Fishtank has become an integral part of YVR's digital team supporting their Sitecore platform, skillfully ensuring peak website performance, and making the most of their technology investment.

Using Sitecore and Cloudflare's capabilities has significantly enhanced YVR's website speed, streamlined user experiences, and optimized operational efficiencies while lowering their technical spend.

Additionally, our development of a custom digital training portal has revolutionized the training process for YVR's marketing team, ensuring new hires can efficiently manage website content. The partnership has also emphasized inclusivity, with concerted efforts to enhance web accessibility, aligning YVR's site with AA WCAG 2.1 standards.

The vital role our team plays in the daily support and maintenance of the YVR site has also elevated YVR's online presence and reinforced its continued customer-focused growth.