Web hosting provider 1&1 Internet announced that it has begun offering its services and solutions to the Canadian market. The company currently operates in seven major markets in Europe and North America, hosting more than 11 million domain names.
So why is its focus on Canada so important? According to 2010 research by Industry Canada, only 41 percent of Canadian businesses currently have a website. That presents a big opportunity for a company like 1&1 and everyone else in the U.S. considering crossing that virtual border.
“While the fundamental needs of a small business are fairly consistent in all countries, the Canadian SMB market brings with it an additional set of requirements, and we relish the opportunity to satisfy these,” says Oliver Mauss, CEO of 1&1 Internet Inc.
“Our recent study of this market provided us with valuable insight into preferred business practices in Canada. For example, almost 70 percent preferred to use local currency as opposed to the US dollar. In order to better serve our Canadian customers, we built a business platform using only their local currency to ensure their experience with us suited their business preferences.”