There are nearly There are nearly 200,000,000 active websites on the ’Net. Billions of dollars are spent annually on the development and promotion of these now essential business assets, but only a few will ever become household names.

And while many companies never receive attention from the wider Web community, there are several which are fundamental to the success of ’Net professionals.

The Web has changed dramatically since Website Magazine first launched back in November 2005. In the search engine space, we’ve seen Google (#1) rise to absolute dominance; Yahoo! (#11) falter at nearly every turn and move through a series of CEOs; Bing and Microsoft (#6) emerge in a modest yet important way for Web workers, and Ask.com (listed under IAC at #50) resurface as a Q&A platform.

Social media has also captured the attention of Web users and Web workers. Facebook (#2) and Twitter (#10), once nothing more than a ’Net novelty, have become necessary points of participation.

This is not the same Web as 10 years ago. It’s faster, better looking and more connected, resulting in a much improved experience for Web users and workers. Through the highs and lows, the mergers and acquisitions, and yes, even the launches and the deadpool — one thing remains constant: you need strong brands providing effective services and solutions to work with if your aim is profitability.

Website Magazine’s Top 50 Web Brands for ’Net Professionals acts as a snapshot of the companies that support Web workers in their business initiatives today and will likely do so in the future. Hopefully you know many of these brands and work with and around them regularly. These vendors provide essential services to ’Net professionals and they are not just names you should know, but services you should rely on if Web success is the aim.

You will find search engines and hosting companies like 1and1 (#34) and Rackspace (#39), domain name vendors like GoDaddy (#12) and Register.com (#33), software providers of all types including Salesforce (#19) and Volusion (#36), and social media destinations in this list of 50 top Web brands. Know that the rankings in this list of companies, and any list published by Website Magazine, could be ranked, sorted and reported in any number of ways. There are alternatives to each and every company listed, but those included here have proven themselves as important to the efficiency and effectiveness of ’Net business. If you’re looking for the best of the Web, Website Magazine’s list of 50 top brands for Web professionals is an ideal start.

ABOUT THIS RANKED DATA
Website Magazine’s Top 50 rankings are a measure of a website’s popularity. Ranks are calculated using a proprietary method that focuses on average daily unique visitors and page views over a specified period of time, as reported by multiple data sources. The website with the highest combination of factors is ranked in the first position. Conducting research, making formal comparisons and talking to existing clients and users before making any purchase decisions is always recommended.

Top 50 Brands for 'Net Professionals

1. Google.com

2. Facebook.com

3. Adobe.com

4. Apple.com

5. Amazon.com

6. Microsoft.com

7. Linkedin.com

8. Ebay.com

9. AOL.com

10. Twitter.com

11. Yahoo.com

12. Godaddy.com

13. Stumbleupon.com

14. Symantec.com

15. Local.com

16. Baidu.com

17. Wordpress.org

18. Intuit.com

19. Salesforce.com

20. iContact.com

21. ClickBank.com

22. NetworkSolutions.com

23. HubSpot.com

24. Compete.com

25. MailChimp.com

26. Authorize.net

27. Zoho.com

28. Verisign.com

29. Quantcast.com

30. VerticalResponse.com

31. NetSuite.com

32. Fatcow.com

33. Register.com

34. 1and1.com

35. HootSuite.com

36. Volusion.com

37. ExactTarget.com

38. Tucows.com

39. Rackspace.com

40. ChannelAdvisor.com

41. Theplanet.com

42. PowerReviews.com

43. Burstmedia.com

44. SuperMedia.com

45. Marketo.com

46. Citrix.com

47. SugarCRM.com

48. BazaarVoice.com

49. ATG.com

50. IAC.com