Pinterest has become the fastest growing website ever, scoring almost 12 million unique monthly visitors in January. This number was up from 7.5 million in December and from under half a million last May. While users spend only 90 minutes per month on Pinterest, as opposed to seven hours on Facebook (News - Alert), the growth of the startup is still phenomenal.

Pinterest markets itself as an online pinboard where people can post things they find on the Internet that catch their interest. Users originally had to request an invite from another user to join the network, but users may now join via email request. Once they are members, users can follow the interests of other people who post on Pinterest. The goal of the website is to help people connect around the things that they enjoy, and so far, the strategy seems to be working.

The website postings are dominated by home décor, food, crafts and fashion. The majority of visitors to the website were women, and most of those women were between the ages of 25 and 44. Most traffic comes from California and Texas, although unusual rates of interest are noted in states like Alabama, Tennessee and Utah.

Thanks to a $26 million infusion from venture capitalist firm Andreeson Horowitz, Pinterest launched in March 2010. Investors who put their cash into Pinterest when it was valued at $40 million in September have seen the value of the company grow to an estimated $200 million. The number of visitors to Pinterest outnumbers the number of visitors to Google (News - Alert) Plus, Google’s struggling social network application. Time named Pinterest one of its “Top 50 Websites of 2011.”

Many businesses are looking to integrate Pinterest into their social media strategies. Marketers point out that Pinterest gives brands the potential to build around the products rather than around celebrity endorsements. Rather, brands can be built around what people care about as opposed to who they care about.

For Pinterest users on the go, the website is available as a mobile plug-in. Members may also download the Pinterest app to their smartphone or tablet.