Top 20 Best Websites in the United States for 2010

The results are in from any number of web tracking and popularity polls. 20 websites have been identified for drawing enormous traffic and popularity. Among them are the usual suspects, like Google, Facebook and Yahoo!. But the others might surprise you. Read on:

1. Google

Google's self-described mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." Since its inception in 1996, Google has grown by from a search engine to a web giant, offering dozens of products and services, including advertising and web applications, in scores of languages. Google teamed with NORAD to track Santa Claus as 2010 ended. That should tell you something about Google's reach and popularity today.

2. Facebook

A social utility and networking giant on the web that connects people and facilitates the users need to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and more. Facebook is so huge, it even inspired a Hollywood blockbuster movie about its founder, mission and website. Hitwise, an Internet analytics firm, reported that, for the first time ever, more US web surfers visited the social networking site more than any other in 2010, besting Google in the process. If that doesn't place Facebook in the Top 20 Websites of 2010, I don't know what will.

3. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself

YouTube is enormously popular today as a platform for videos and so much more. So much so is YouTube taking over the World Wide Web that it has produced its own YouTube stars and singing sensations thanks to its awesome site and tools. Want to hear some great music tonight? Search YouTube for your favorite artists and let the enchantment begin.

4. Yahoo!

Yahoo! looms large on the Top 20 Websites list as the "world's most visited home page." With Yahoo!, users quickly find what they're looking for, connect with friends and so much more. In 2010, Yahoo! Scores additional success in acquiring Associated Content giving it enormous capacity as a digital library. Hitwise also reports that Yahoo! Mail came ranked third with 3.52% of all visits in 2010, while the main Yahoo! site was fourth with 3.3% website visits. That kind of success can only mean more progress in the year ahead for Yahoo!.

5. Windows Live

Windows Live also did well in 2010 as a powerful website. Windows Live is the collective brand name for a host of great services and software products from Microsoft. Who doesn't hear Microsoft knocking on the door these days?

6.LinkedIn

A networking tool to find connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business. At this point, do you know anyone who isn't sending status updates from LinkedIn? An enormously successful 2010 for Linked In, for sure.

7. Wikipedia

Who doesn't read Wikipedia? A top website in 2010, Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia built collaboratively using wiki software. It's a must for curious minds everywhere, including students and researchers who begin every Internet search with a quick visit to Wikipedia.

8. Blogger.com

What's Blogger? Simply a free, automated weblog publishing tool from Google. Adored for its beautiful, customizable templates and layouts, Blogger helped everyone become a blogger in 2010. No small thing.

9. CraigsList

CraigsList continues to get the ink and draw for its online directory that includes classified ads and a community message board for specific urban areas. Still popular after all these years, this is one electronic message board that shows no sign of slowing down in the year ahead.

10. Twitter
What's Twitter? None other than an awesome and super fast social networking and microblogging service using instant messaging, SMS or a web interface. Even Snooki from MTV's improbable hit, The Jersey Shore, got some Twitter action in 2010.

11. MSN

No surprise, MSN comes on strong in 2010. What's MSN? Just a cool portal for shopping, news and money, e-mail, search, chat and more. Though bested by Google, Facebook, Yahoo and AOL in 2010, MSN's still a force of nature and shore to hit the ground running in the year ahead.

12. AOL

AOL features news, sports, stock quotes, weather, movie reviews, TV trends and more. With free email, AIM access, online radio, videos and horoscopes, AOL is sure to be a contender in the months and years to come.

13. Amazon

Though recently getting a black eye over its plans to patent gift return software that may block unwanted gift givers, Amazon still looms large in the public eye for 2010. Amazon.com seeks to be "Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover" books and other products. With cool features like one-click buying, customer and editorial product reviews, gift registries, gift certificates, wish lists, restaurant and movie listings, travel, photo processing and more, Amazon shows no sign of slowing down.

14. ESPN

ESPN has become synonymous with sports coverage in this country. ESPN is a huge sports news network on line, featuring a broadcast schedule, game scores and super cool articles on college and professional sports. No wonder that ESPN was the go-to site in 2010 for sports fans everywhere.

15. CNN Interactive

Who doesn't look to CNN for authoritative news, weather, sports and more? Online, CNN's site is awesome and a real contender in 2010.

16. PayPal

An easy, online payment service for individuals and merchants, PayPal allows users to send money and bills to anyone with e-mail. With a business model like this one, no wonder PayPal wipes up in 2010.

17. Netflix

Flat monthly fee for movies delivered by mail service or streamed directly to your computer. Move over, Blockbuster. This business model will continue to lead the pack in 2011.

18. Bing

Who knows where Bing's going, but its images and browsing capabilities rock with the general public. Bing is sure to be a force to be reckoned with in 2010.

19. WordPress

WordPress offers a pretty popular, custom design template for personal blogs featuring integrated statistics, automatic spam protection and other features. Who knew WordPress would score big points in 2010?

20. eBay

EBay's a super cool website and international person-to-person auction site, with products sorted into categories. A strong draw for web traffic in 2010. Sure to expand its reach in the years to come.

WEBSITE RESOURCES, REVIEWS & POLLS

Top 100 Websites for 2010
PC Magazine

None of the sites in this Top 100 are mobile only. They also can't be download-based, that means no browser plug-ins and no desktop apps. The sites on this list have to be free (although they are allowed if they have some premium content.)

Top 1000 Most-Visited Websites
Google

Here's a list of the largest 1000 sites worldwide, based on Unique Visitors (users), as measured by Ad Planner. This list is updated monthly as new Ad Planner datasets are released. The list defines sites as top-level domains. A must if you really want to know who's visiting what website these days.

Alexa
The Web Information Company

Founded in April 1996, Alexa Internet considers Web navigation to be intelligent and constantly improving with the participation of its users. Alexa developed an installed based of millions of toolbars, one of the largest Web crawls and an infrastructure to process and serve massive amounts of data. Its polls and Top Sites are important, comprehensive and definitive to the wider World Wide Web community.

50 Best Websites 2010
Time

From the helpful to the distracting, the big hitters to the unknowns, TIME offers a road map to the best of the World Wide Web in 2010 and beyond. A great list and some welcome newcomers to the World Wide Web.