Each month in Website Magazine's print edition, our editors profile some of the most newsworthy events that occured that month. Check out some of the most recent 'Net Briefs below:
Twitter's big IPO day ended up being more successful overall than Facebook's big day back in May. Shares of the micro-blogging social network opened at $45.10 on the New York Stock Exchange, up 73 percent from the $26 IPO price, resulting in one of the most successful public offerings of 2013. The IPO filing provided some interesting data, revealing a company with strong but slowing user growth, and solid revenue in mobile despite a lack of actual profit.
The introduction of the new gTLDs can be confusing for eventhe savviest Web professional, which is where the Domain Name Association (DNA) comes into play. The new international nonprofit organization, whose membership roster includes such companies as GoDaddy, Demand Media and Google, was created to promote the interests of the domain name industry by advocating the use, adoption and expansion of domain names as the primary means to navigate the Internet by educating users across the globe about the release of the new generic to-level domains.
DISCOVER more related news on the introduction of the gTLDs in Website Magazine's Domain Masters channel at wsm.co/domains
Pondering the launch of a Pinterest contest? If so, make sure that you are aware of the social network's rather restrictive new guidelines. The social network will no longer allow contests that 1) suggest Pinterest sponsors or endorses the brand or promotion, 2) require people to Pin from a selection, like a website or a list of Pins; 3) make people Pin contest rules; 4) run a sweepstakes where each Pin, board, like or follow represents an entry; 5) encourage behaviors such as asking participants to comment; 6) asks participants to vote with Pins, boards or likes; and 7) require a minimum number of pins. As of one of the fastest growing networks, many insiders are wondering if Pinterest is preparing to launch its own contest platform.
Amazon is helping startups launch with a new service called AWS Activate, a bundled technology offering which allows developers to put Amazon's online services to the test. The service is offered in two packages, a Self-Starter option that any startup can apply for and a Portfolio option that can be applied for by startups in select accelerator, incubator, venture capital seed funds or entrepreneur-focused organizations. Both packages contain a variety of resources, such as AWS support, technical training and special third-party offers.
Facebook ads shown on the iPhone generate a whopping 1,790 percent more return on investment than ads shown on Android devices, according to a recent study from Nanigans. In fact, the report reveals that in the first three quarters of 2013, revenue per click (RPC) on iOS averaged 6.1 times higher than Android, while return on investment (ROI) on iOS averaged 17.9 times higher than Android. This data is quite astounding, suggesting that even though mobile provides advertisers with a big revenue opportunity, that opportunity is more profitable when targeting iOS users.