Richard I like your photos, don't be so hard on yourself.
I think you may be getting the best results that are available with your current camera. While I think pocket/compact cameras have their place, nothing beats a DSLR for image quality. As a photog I respect once said to me, "not all pixels are created equal". In looking at your work, I think you need a better camera if you want decisively better photos. Without getting technical, you get fundamentally better images with solid DSLRs. Plus you can really experiment with depth of field and white balance and bracketing exposures from too light to too dark and then picking 'best" on your tube.
With a good DSLR, indirect outdoor lighting is fine, unless you want to add highlights (lighting is a whole other subject). In terms of staged backgrounds, there is some good advice in this thread. Personally I prefer light blue craft paper, with the subject staged so that only the paper shows in background. Go to a craft store, or craft section of Target Walmart etc., and ask for a big sheet of craft paper.
If your goal is to post good pictures to the web, and don't want to spring for a new DSLR, good ones can be had on eBay at astoundingly low prices. You don't need a ton of pixels for web postings but the other stuff a DSLR provides- white balance, bracketing, exposure control, depth of field, sensor quality - do help, even for the web. By "good DSLR" I mean anything by Canon or Nikon in the last few years. Other brands are no doubt as good but I stick with those two. I have too big an investment in Nikon lenses to change, but if I was just starting out I'd go with Canon, better/easier software.
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