The list of the top 50 UK web brands, which has been compiled by Nielsen and UKOM and shows that dotcom brands which were the most popular in 2004 have all dropped out of the top 50 list and been replaced by more traditional brands such as Tesco and Marks&Spencer.
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| Google - Top spot 2011 |
Google has held the top spot since 2006, attracting more than 35 million unique UK users every month. In Jan 2004, the number one position was held by MSN with less than half Google’s current number of monthly visitors (17 million). Today, a site with this level of users would barely make the Top 10, such has been the growth in online traffic.
A Nielsen spokesman said: “The online world is increasingly reflecting the offline world, with the web’s 50 most-popular brands consisting more than ever of businesses established in the ‘real world’ and sites serving the interaction between ‘real people’…35 of the web’s top 50 brands are accounted for by social media and traditional businesses, up from 19 in 2004.”
UKOM general manager James Smythe added: “Over the last seven years, we see two broad developments: first, huge growth in the use of sites built on social content, where we mostly find contributions from people we trust; and second, websites with a high-street or ‘real-world’ presence translating the strength of their offline brands into online audiences.”
“In January 2004, only one web brand among the Top 50 - Friends Reunited – was powered by social media. Now there are 10, including sites like YouTube, Wikipedia and Tripadvisor [and Facebook].
The number of media companies has risen from 9 to 16 and includes the likes of Sky, ITV and The Telegraph. The top 10 brands have remained largely stable in the last few years, with seven of them having remained in the top 10. They are the likes of MSN, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, BBC, eBay and Amazon. The three new entrants are Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia.
Interestingly financial institutions have become a real looser with 3 out of 4 banks dropping off the list. Also, there are no specialist travel brands on the current list. Still, looking at the list, there is no doubt of the power of strong traditional corporate branding and popular online presence.
