How many times have you said, “I found this really cool website.” … but what makes it really cool? And more importantly, how does it help a business. Is it the ease of use, what it actually does or that it has some great content?
A 2012 study from Dr. Jonathan Gerber, assistant professor of psychology at Gordon College, sought to measure the cool factor. He found there was a huge difference in what people think is cool and what people think people think is cool.
So what does this mean for websites and mobile sites? It’s not what your website is saying or doing that makes it cool, it’s about whether the receivers of the website, a.k.a. the audience, thinks it is cool. Craigslist provides a classified ad service that is simple and hasn’t changed since its start. The site is simple and direct. Is it a cool site?
What about Cheezburger? It depends on the audience.
The Digital Media Debate 
I agree, and believe that a websites success depends on the audience’s thoughts, and engagement with that particular website. Creating a website is essential for many brands, but organizations must understand how to create a “great” website as highlighted in a Forbes article entitled, “How to Build a Killer Small Business Web Site.” Brands must create both “cool” and “great” websites to be successful!