gomer - 7:44 pm on Jul 29, 2005 (gmt 0)

Sounds like you have given this a lot of thought and planning which is great.

I think all the things you are considering could be wise choices but I also think, especially for those new to something, it is nice to start slowly and then build on that.

This is what I mean by that: the options you are considering (a shopping cart, PHP and a database, a content management system, forums, premium content and site search) are great things but they don't have to be added at the start. They represent an investment of both time and money.

I would start by building a static html site with the valuable content you are describing. See where that goes. For now, sell your videos (perhaps through your sister site making it real easy) and throw AdSense on it and a few other partners on it. See where that goes.

As you probably know, these days it can take a while with getting a site out of Google's sandbox. The other search engines out there don't seem to be that reliable either. If you are relying on free serach engine traffic as you say, no point in building a rich and expensive system until you have something to build on.

When starting out, the iterative model works well. Perhaps don't envision your system as you finally want it to be. Envsion it in stages. In each stage, you will give it certain functionality and expect certain measurable results. The iterative model will also help you adjust the plan as necessary. If things are working out well, grow with it.

It is nice to have the vision you have. Perhaps just don't try and do it all right out of the gate.