Many people do not use a full window for their browsing, check to make sure you are readable at less than stadard sizes. Check it from various sources to make sure. Double check them, a working page needs working links. Your info must make sense in order to be of value to your clients. Take away the unescessary, the smaller, the faster, the better.
Graphics take up the vast majority of the size of any web page, focus on simplicity.
Check various text and background color combinations to provide the most relaxing feel witht the best readability. There is nothing wrong with black on white. If it doesn't look good, it doesn't feel good. Uncomfortable pages do not keep the users attention. Competition yields uniqueness.