The Internet has revolutionized the world of business. As the fastest and most efficient means of spreading information, the Internet has made it easier for businessmen to market their products and services to a huge number of consumers worldwide simultaneously.

Collectively, the process of marketing, selling, distributing and buying of goods and services over the Internet is called E-commerce. With an ever-growing number of Internet users around the world, having an e-commerce site is a must for every business, small or big.

While e-commerce is the biggest trend in United States’ business world, in Canada, e-commerce accounts for only a small fraction of the total sales of private businesses. Only seven percent of the total number of Canadian companies (mostly the biggest businesses in Canada) sells their products over the Internet. Small and medium-sized businesses are not yet confident enough to engage in e-commerce because most Canadian consumers are still skeptical about the financial security of most e-commerce sites.

There is a considerable increase though in the number of online sales generated by various Canadian government departments and companies in 2004 -- almost fifty percent increase, statistics show. The largest online sales amounting to $19.8 billion resulted from business to business sales.

Still, e-commerce web hosting is a good business in Canada. Web hosting refers to an Internet hosting service that provides businesses with online systems for storing information, including web site contents, images and videos, as well as Internet connectivity. Simply put, web hosting service providers give your business a “home” in the Internet.

Web hosting service providers in Canada offer services ranging from email hosting, domain registration, directory protection, site usage statistics, technical support and more. Services costs vary, depending on the space you would occupy and the services you would want to avail. A 500 MB space can cost you about $3 to $4 per month while a larger 70GB space can cost you about $5.