We live in a world in which just about everything has a DIY possibility. Our neighbors have microbreweries in their basements, our dentist acts has his practice’s webmaster and your sister-in-law is the family photographer.

The uprising in do-it-yourselfers is contributable, in part, to the wealth of tools available on the web. Both paid and free software allow anyone access to editing and coding functions that were once hidden behind a veil of secrecy. Plus, there is no shortage of how-to articles on just about any subject.

This perception has overflown into the business world, where there is a temptation to delegate at least some of your business needs to the most tech-savvy, optimistic resource in-house, regardless of their experience. It is this mentality that has accounting majors acting as in-house social media marketers and executive assistants producing the company’s videos.

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to bring a business to the next level without the involvement of a professional. More importantly, your clients immediately notice when and where you are cutting corners.

A survey conducted by Comscore found that professionally produced video outperforms user-generated video by more than 30%. Additionally, the quality of the video directly impacts the perception of your product or service; the higher the quality of the video, the higher the perceived value of your offering.

Your online presence is arguably your greatest marketing asset. Investments in this area pay dividends for years to come.