Finally, when working with a firm, make sure that you provide them with only one point of contact so they don’t spend additional time coordinating between people in your company – although seemingly amusing, that mistake is quite common, especially so with growing businesses. Requiring your designer to handle internal coordination of ideas leads to dramatic extensions in project timelines, so be sure that you appoint someone internally to act as a point of contact and clearinghouse of internal discussion. Another way to save on multimedia costs is by concentrating on developing powerful ideas while keeping implementation simple. When too much time is spent on design and not enough on concept, you will waste production money and effort. To make this strategy effective interview firms that may front load the creative, but also display portfolio pieces that focus on conveying ideas rather than showing off lots of special effects. Work with the designer to simplify the production process by brainstorming easier ways to animate key concepts, and be open to using less labor intensive “vector” animation rather than 3D animations or video production. When it comes to sound, seek out talented and “undiscovered” freelance musicians or voiceover actors working from home who can provide original audio that will cut licensing costs..

As a final point, the operational structure of your chosen design firm can impact cost and quality as well. Off-shoring software development is well established, but outsourcing design work abroad is less common and can lead to interesting results due to cultural differences or lack of marketing knowledge. At the same time, larger multimedia projects often benefit from repetitive production taking place off-shore. Depending on your needs, a “full” off-shore firm with just a sales presence in the US may not be able to provide you with the customer service needed. On the other hand, a fully US firm will likely double your production costs.

The best choice for small businesses is a design firm employing a hybrid approach, where creative development and high level design is handled by professionals that you can meet and build rapport with, but where larger production is handled costs effectively by a well managed offshore team.

By controlling the costs of multimedia your business can afford a highly effective communication tool that can pique site visitors’ or ad viewers’ interest. Remember these key points:

- Think “simple” when it comes to producing animations – focus on strong ideas instead.
- Be disciplined with your revisions to avoid charges for many rounds of changes.
- Take over creative development and let your designers simply produce your vision when your in-house creative is strong. Otherwise seek out a trustworthy design agency with a track record of strong creative development.
- Work with firms that employ an optimal mix of US and off-shore development.