The Internet industry is constantly growing and developing and some of the largest companies today didn’t even exist a decade ago, while other big players from the 2000s are no longer relevant. We’ve seen a real revolution of the web and Internet-based companies responsible for it have generated enormous revenues from online advertising, sales, and various fees. Today, the top 10 Internet companies in the world are very different from industry leaders ten years ago.
How can we determine success, especially when it comes to the Internet industry, which seems so different than everything else? There are many factors to consider and revenue is just one of them. Popularity, brand value, market performance, innovation, consumer engagement – all these are essential, but virtually impossible to track at once. Researchers from online resource for investing and financial education Investopedia took current data – March 2015 – from stock exchange to rank the companies on market cap. They also added annual revenue and the list seems to make perfect sense, even for the regular consumer. It turns out the companies with the best performance are among the most recognizable and popular, as well.
- Google – This is currently the leader not only in Internet search, but also in contextual advertising, and many other online services. In 2013, the giant’s total revenue was $59,85 billion, while now NASDAQ-listed Google has a market cap of $345 billion. No need to mention its wide range of not only services, but products, too.
- Alibaba – The Chinese sensation has a market cap of $272,29 billion. Last year, its initial public offering (IPO) became the largest ever IPO in the world. The ecommerce giant reported a pre-IPO filing revenue of $1,75 billion.
- Facebook – This is still the most popular social media network and it’s completely free for users. In October, the company acquired WhatApp for $19 billion among others. Attractive for marketers, Facebook had a revenue of $7,87 billion in 2013. Its market cap stands at $213 billion.
- Amazon – Anyone surprised? The NASDAQ-listed company has a market cap of $138,7 billion, while according to official data, its revenue in 2013 was $74,452 billion. Did you know Amazon stared in 1995 as an online bookseller? Now it’s the largest online retailer in the U.S. and probably in the world (although in September Alibaba overtook Amazon by market capitalization).
- Tencent Holdings – Tencent is still relatively unknown outside Asia, where it’s a leader in apps, online games, advertising, and messaging services. Its WeChat, which is similar to WhatApp, has millions of users. Listed on the Honk Hong Stock Exchange, the company has a market cap of $132 billion, while its revenue in 2013 was $9,6 billion.
- Baidu – The company is currently the leading search engine in China, where Google is limited by the local government. The multi-platform Baidu also offers news, maps, an encyclopedia, videos, and even Internet TV and an anti-virus, which seems to be enough for the Chinese people – the company also restricts search results. Its market cap stands at $78,52 billion, while its revenue was $5,277 billion.
- Ebay – The global online marketplace has a market cap of $70,38 billion and its revenue in 2013 was $16 billion. It’s extremely popular, because it offers businesses to sell their products directly to customers, while individuals can also sell to individuals.
- Priceline – This is the only online travel company in the list of the top 10 Internet-based companies. It offers airline tickets, hotel room reservations, safaris, cruises, car rentals, and many other services through its website, as well as on Booking and Agoda. In 2013, Priceline’s total revenues were $6,8 billion. Its market cap is $56,33 billion.
- Yahoo – The veteran’s revenue in 2013 was $4,68 billion and its current market cap stands at $47,65 billion. It offers email services, online search, and it’s a diverse Internet portal.
- Salesforce – Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the company has a market cap of $36 billion. It’s a leader in enterprise cloud computing and social enterprise solutions, becoming increasingly popular among businesses. Its revenue in 2013 was $4,07 billion.
