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Today we are putting the spotlight on our forum members and the issues some are facing — from questions about boosting site traffic and upping Google PageRank, to choosing an e-commerce package and how to show potential Web visitors that you are a trustworthy vendor. If you haven’t had much time to read and participate in our forums, we highlight several recent threads that provide insight for small online businesses. Of course, you are free to add your own comments by following the links provided to each discussion below.Web site Management, Hosting and Design: Increase Traffic and Page Rank
You have a Web site, but after it’s online you need to start working on two key Issues: increasing traffic and bumping up the page rank of the site itself. Forum member vinz, who runs a site called “Positive parenting Through Divorce Class” asks others to weigh in with advice on these issues.

vinz asks, “Guys what can I do to increase my traffic and page rank to my site? Please give me some ideas or techniques to improve my site.”

JEccles says, “You’ve got a very well designed site with lots of good keywords. What you need to do now is get links back to it. Maybe divorce lawyers or family lawyers. Talk it up. Submit articles, write blogs — just get the site name out there so the spiders can find it. I’m sure there are a lot more detailed things you can do, but this is still a learning experience for me also. Good luck.”

Forum Moderator roban tells vinz that Google Page Rank is way over-valued by many Webmasters.

“It is not unusual for a Web site with a Page Rank of 2 to outrank a Web site with a Page Rank of 5. The reason is that Page Rank is only an indicator of one of many factors, and Page Rank is not even a reliable indicator, at that. So don’t be concerned about PR. What you want is targeted visitors who will use your service.

“Writing and publishing articles, back links, content development and key words that people are actually searching for are basic Organic SEO methods that work. And let us not forget ‘time’. It takes six months or longer for a site to show well assuming everything is in place. Your site was created in March of 2006 and last updated in January, 2007 so you should be seeing results.”

Volusion takes a look at the site’s metatags and says, “Your metatags could definitely use improvement, although it seems as if metatags are not as important these days as they once were. When focusing on metatags, it’s important to put your keywords in the metatag itself. For example, you have a page called ‘Details.’ To what details are you referring? Divorce Class details?”

• Want to know more about Google Page Rank, metatags and increasing traffic to your Web site? Read the full discussion here.

Storefronts and Shopping carts: Easy to use e commerce Web site builder
Nestegg is new to e-commerce and decided to scout our forums to see if anyone could offer advice or suggestions on an easy-to-use Web site builder. Nestegg has found that monstercommerce and similar sites offer solutions that actually seem too good to be true.

Nestegg asks, “Is is it really possible to create a good looking Web site through these companies for the cost of under 100 a month with no previous experience? I am looking for suggestions for the best service to use in which I can make my own site.”

JEccles says, ” It is possible to get a nice looking site for under $100/month. Sometimes it will depend on the number of products you sell. I know Volusion has a program for $79.00/month for up to 250 products.”

Forum member cometmall adds that while good looking is possible at that price, a unique design is not.

cinnamon9691 says, “In my personal experience, I’ve seen many good unique store designs done with hosted shopping carts. For example with the use of Modular Merchants v3 QuickCode tags, you can place dynamic store content anywhere you wish. This also means that you can change the look and number of your checkout pages.”

• Do you have experience with hosted storefronts and shopping carts? View this thread and leave your recommendations for forum member Nestegg.

ECommerce Issues: Earning Customer Trust
Online you have to rely on presentation and mostly text to convey a sense of trust to your potential online clients and customers. In this ‘oldie but goodie’ Ecommerce Issues thread, several forum members offer suggestions and ideas of things to include on your Web that send a message to Web site visitors that you are trustworthy.

Some ideas offered by InfoSourcing include a seal of trust such as BBB, reseller ratings and trust certificates. A 1-800 number or online live chat so customers know there are people on other side to address concerns is also a good idea. Another suggestion is to include shopper feedback about the product and product reviews.

Heidi suggests including a privacy policy so you can get a TrustE logo on your site. “You can also get verified by PayPal and get their Verified seal. Having many of these seals can also boost the feeling of trust.”

autoecart adds, “I think the two most important things are the BBB seal so they know your legit and a security seal from a company like Verisign or similar so they know their info is secure.”

thestuffinder says, “I have a little affiliate link Web site that, in order to hopefully instill trust, I do not collect any information on my home page. I also mention this in my mission statement.”

• Want to know more about making your site more trustworthy? Check out the forum thread here, and add your own ideas.