asp.net mvc - Set up staging and production environmets and minimizing downtime on simple hosting -

i have asp.net mvc 3 application, wouldbebetter.com, hosted on windows azure. have introductory special subscription package free several months surprised @ how expensive has turned out (€150 p/m on average!) have started paying it. way money site not going generate money time i've decided move regular hosting provider (discountasp.net).

one of things i'll miss though, separated staging , production environments azure provides, along zero-downtime environment swap.

my question is, how go "simulating" staging environment while hosting on traditional provider? , best shot @ minimizing downtime on new deployments?

thanks.

update: chose answer chose not because consider best method, because makes sense me @ point.

i use discountasp myself. it's pretty basic hosting sure, little behind times. have found creating subdirectory , publishing beta/test/whatever versions there works pretty well. it's not fancy or pretty, job done.

in order need create subdirectory first, go control panel , tell dasp directory application. have consider directory's web.config going combination of own , parent one. have consider robots.txt subdirectory , protecting in general nosy people.

you pull off subdomains too, depending on how domain set up.

another option: appharbor? have free plan. if can stay within confines of free plan, might work (i've never used them, interested in trying them though)