Owning a website isn’t an option. It’s paramount. According to a recent study, dwindling attention spans are at it again. If true, the demand for compelling content is higher than ever.

This holds equally true for SEO, especially if a website is your main shot at making an impression.

Successful web copy is a combination of art and science. When correct keywords and authoritative backlinks are combined with the highest-quality content, search engines can properly perform their crawling, indexing and ranking duties. Despite the aid of sophisticated metrics, however, it’s quality content that matters most.

A website is your window to the world. So, when it comes to capturing your awaiting audience, why should it be otherwise?

The Digital Age flourisheth not without scripts. As a 20-year cinematographer, I’ve encountered every flavor of them - spicy, sweet, sour, and mostly bland. Most importantly, though, having spent thousands of hours behind cameras, I’ve learned how incredibly different the world sounds.

The same can be said for subject matter. Professional disciplines, like people, tend toward their own recognizable tenor. A knowledgeable scriptwriter, therefore, should understand the general tone and character of any profession.

The other half of the scripting equation, often overlooked, is the editorial. As a former film and video editor, I’ve immersed myself in the myriad rhythms of the craft. The way I see it, no script reaches its full potential unless the scriptwriter thinks like an editor.

Finally, while not always originating copy, scriptwriters often convert or “translate” existing content. Why? Because “copy” and “conversation” might as well be different languages. For clients unversed in the language of visual storytelling, it’s crucial copy always undergoes this critical conversion.

Copyeditors are both loved and hated. In fact, I’ve heard it argued that copywriters serve no purpose at all considering how subjective writing can be. Nevertheless, since the work of a copywriter is to “edit,” this is exactly what she will do whether or not a text “needs” it. How much more subjective can a craft be?

This may well be valid but since the task of a thoughtful copyedit tends toward consicion and excellence, why not trust another set of capable eyes? As long as the demand for clear, effective writing continues will the need for quality editing carry on.

Although few will deny the magic of an objective eye, handing over a text can be therapeutic since the gesture tends toward improvement.

In my opinion, word construction is such a hard-earned craft that no piece of writing is ever truly finished without the tedious copy edit.