Technology is the great enabler. Whether you’re creating a logo, putting together a website, publishing whitepapers or broadcasting e-mails, today’s technology makes it all so easy that anybody can do it. Or at least they think they can. And this is where the problem comes in—it’s not nearly as easy as it might look.

The fact is that these technologies are really tools—the tools of the trade. In this case, the trade is that of the pros who create logos, design websites, write copy and issue press releases. In this age of increasing specialization, literally everything that you see, read, watch, or listen to on the Internet represents a field of highly trained, specialized professional people who are experts at creating whatever it is you’ve encountered.

Of course, what you’ve experienced may or may not represent the efforts of those professionals. In fact regardless of your training or skill level, it’s almost a certainty that you can recognize the difference. Let’s face it—a homegrown video clip looks nothing at all like something done professionally in New York. And in some cases, that might even be a benefit. But regardless of whether it’s intentional or not, there is a discernable, very obvious difference.

It would be like going into a Home Depot and plunking down thousands of dollars on tools to build a house. Granted, it could be done. But realistically, unless you’re a pretty good carpenter with lots of experience, you’ve actually built a house from scratch, or both, just having the tools by no means guarantees success, far from it!

Even more outrageous would be to buy medical equipment on the Internet to perform surgery on yourself or your friends. As ridiculous as that sounds, so is the notion of buying a high-end graphic design program, or a sophisticated web development package if you are not a graphic designer or a programmer. Although they might be advertised as user-friendly so that anybody can use them, the fact is that unless you have the talent and training, they’re really not for you.

When you’re operating an online business, your brand identity is of paramount importance. Your web presence should be professionally designed and maintained. Your content should be professionally developed. To realize true success, focus on what you do best—marketing to your customers. Put your brand in the hands of the professionals, and rise above the competition.