Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

Google, Facebook are dominant websites in 2011

Online giants Google and Facebook came out as the most-visited Web sites of 2011, according to a Nielsen report.

Meanwhile, Yahoo, which has struggled with corporate and financial problems, was the third-most visited website, trailing behind second-place Facebook.

The Nielsen study showed that Google was the most-visited website in 2011, with an average of more than 153 million unique visitors a month. Facebook was second with more than 137 million, and Yahoo was third with 130 million.

Microsoft sites, including MSN, Windows Live and Bing, came in fourth with nearly 116 million unique monthly visits. Google-owned YouTube rounded out the top five with more than 106 million visits.

"I'm surprised at how close the top four are," said Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research. "I think it reflects the fact that many people visit several [sites], or all of them." The list also shows how valuable Yahoo still is despite the corporate problems the company experienced in 2011.

Yahoo, which has fallen from its once lofty position as an Internet pioneer, has been in a state of flux. This past September, with revenues falling and some top talent leaving, Yahoo's board of directors fired then-CEO Carol Bartz.

Once Bartz was out, speculation bloomed that Microsoft, which made a failed bid for Yahoo back in 2008, is once again looking to scoop up Yahoo. And then talk began that Google, possibly just to keep Yahoo out of Microsoft's clutches, was also interested in buying Yahoo.

Gottheil noted that even though Yahoo is in a state of flux, it's still drawing in a large number of users. "Most people don't stop using something that works for them," he added. "They might add another service, but that doesn't mean they eliminate an old one."

For social networks, Facebook was the top dog in 2011 with more than 137 million unique visitors per month, according to Nielsen. Blogger.com came in a distant second with nearly 46 million and Twitter was in third place with more than 23 million. WordPress, with more than 20 million, and MySpace, with nearly 18 million, rounded out the top five.

Google's new social network, Google+, was in the eighth spot, even though it didn't launch until late June.

While some may have expected Google+ to grab a higher spot on the social networking list, Gottheil said the new network could just be slowly ramping up.

"Google+, for a lot of people, just has not been sticky enough," he added. "That doesn't mean it won't eventually develop a larger loyal following, but one of the consequences of Google's big intro was that many of its original users were just window-shopping. Facebook, for all its recent rapid growth, built up gradually ... It's the network effect. Each additional user increases the value of the service to every other user."

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: Facebook, Google, Microsoft, MSN, Nielsen, Technology, Windows Live, Yahoo
References show all

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: Facebook, Google, internet, Internet-based applications and services, social media, social networking
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • BPM Basics for Dummies
    This book helps you understand what BPM is really all about. We wrote it because BPM is so useful and so powerful — and because it is also very accessible. We wrote this book for you — the individual. You may be a business manager, or an Information Technology practitioner, or maybe an ambitious career individual who wants to know what BPM is all about and how to apply it.
    Learn more »
  • Oracle Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing From Storage to Scorecard
    Getting actionable data in the hands of the right decision makers translates to positive business outcomes – whether that means competing more effectively, reducing operational costs, meeting compliance requirements, or anticipating changing market conditions. To get the right data to the right people at the right time, you need an integrated business intelligence and data warehousing solution that can provide fast access to reliable information and the tools to translate that insight into actions.
    Learn more »
  • Closing the print security gap - The market landscape for print security
    Today, many organisations continue to rely on printing to support business processes, particularly in the public sector, finance industry and legal profession. Whilst MFPs and printers have improved business productivity, they pose the same security risk as any networked device if left unprotected. With reported data breaches on the rise and growing industry and regulatory requirements around information security, businesses may suffer financial and reputational damage if they ignore the risks of unsecured printing. Read more.
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.