When would you recommend spending the extra amount on upgrading to managed hosting or premium support?
This is difficult to answer definitely. However, there are some common situations when the answer is obvious. To get the most benefit and value out of the regular tech system and not get super frustrated, you’ll need someone in your organization who can perform at least basic server admin and troubleshooting jobs. If you don’t have anyone other than your developer (or if you hired a freelancer who isn’t dong monthly support) it seems like a good idea to have premium support so you can get a live person on the phone to help you with some of the server issues that will probably come up.
If you have a web designer or developer on staff or are pretty tech savvy and can spend a few extra hours once in awhile messing with server features or functions, it makes sense to get the cheaper hosting with the regular ticket style support. I myself am using MediaTemple with the regular support for the MoviePals.org website. I have run into a few hosting issues that I had to solve myself and opened a few tickets with support to look into a few things for me.
If you're still looking for a good team to take your project to the next level, the authors of the 2010 Rothman Guide to Building Successful Websites are available for free, no obligation, creative consultations that you will not forget! Call 1-866-945-1113 or e-mail your contact info to info@socialmediasystems.