Greetings to All Forum Participants
(this is my first post - I also just posted this on the [Virtual] Hosting Forum)

I need to select a web host to launch a new kind of internet portal. Since this will be my first time using a web host, I would appreciate your advice to help find some good choices that will meet my needs.

NEED GOOD TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Although I put a lot of work into developing this portal and it provides a fun new way to surf the net, I am not a computer-related professional so I will need a web host that will provide good help with the logistics.

NEED A LOT OF BANDWIDTH (I HOPE)
Until last night, I was only thinking of starting with using a virtual hosting company that focuses on good customer assistance and technical support, but now I am having second thoughts. I assume I would have to eventually develop a lot of traffic to be able to financially support the portal or make a profit. At this moment, I don't think I need more than 10 Mb of STORAGE or any fancy features. But, it appears that most virtual web host plans I have looked at (with companies that look top notch) are very low on allowed BANDWIDTH (5 - 20 Gb/month for plans from $10 - $130 per month) compared to the amount of bandwidth I believe I would need to be successful.

WOULD SUCCESS BE FATAL?
I am concerned that, with a virtual hosting company, if I was really successful in building a large amount of traffic, my account (allowed bandwidth) couldn't handle the traffic and all the new potential customers coming to visit my portal would be denied access to the site. I am afraid I might also go broke paying all the $/per excess Mb of bandwidth charges. My understanding is that my potential new customers may have to wait two weeks or more for me to switch everything over to a new web host that could handle the traffic: is that correct?

YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS PLEASE
How would you recommend that I start up my new internet portal. I was looking at virtual hosting companies with good support but now I am worried about the (bandwidth) scenario described above. Do I need to start with a dedicated server? Are there companies that are good virtual hosts and would also allow me to easily and quickly upgrade to a dedicated server? Could most virtual host companies quickly expand their services to satisfactorily provide me with a dedicated server when needed or would that be a mistake for me to try it with them? I don't have a money tree in the back yard so starting with a dedicated server would be a very tough hurdle for me with no current revenues coming in. Which hosts would you recommend for my situation?

Thank you very much for reading this and any advice you can offer.

If you choose a dedicated server, I'd suggest Pwebtech.com, just email ed@pwebtech.com and he will work it out with your needs.

If I were you I'ld stick with virtual hosting at first. It will take some time before your site really starts to take off.
It will save you a lot of money in the beginning when your bandwith use is low.

When the time has come that you have outgrown your host and want to switch to a dedicated server, you do not have to deal with downtime. It's a question of timing.

First get a dedicated server. Then run a mirror of your site on the dedicated server. Then change the DNS information to your site to match the IP of the dedicated server site.

During a period of 24-48 hrs, some ppl will be directed to the old site, some will be directed to the new site, but they won't know because it all looks the same.

After 72 hrs, you can be fairly sure everybody is viewing the site on the dedicated server and you can safely delete the old site

Thank you both for your helpful answers.

Pilgrim, your answer was especially helpful to enlighten me on the kind of stragegy I could use to address my concern. It helped very much.

On the virtual host forum, someone implied that I would spend a lot of time "adminning" if I used a dedicated server. Can't I get the same level of customer and tech support with a web site host that provides dedicated servers?

If I use only fairly basic features on my virtual host site, do you think it should be fairly simple to later just ftp the same site over to my new dedicated server or shoulD I plan on several days of trouble shooting when moving to a server provided by a different host?

Thanks again

Arizona,

getting your own dedicated server might be very costly for you, not only in terms of money but also in terms of time. You have to be very good in securing/optimizing your server. You may get this help from your host, but most of them won't provide this for free and it may still be expensive. On the other hand, you may get the best deal on your buck (in terms of performance and bandwith price) if you get this server yourself.

Just a thought ...

cheers,
:beer:

PS: I just pm'ed you ... please check your pm