I know from my experience on the web, if I have to wait very long, chances are I won't be back. Choose your background carefully for your webpage. You want it to compliment your page, not take it over. Usually a very light background or a colored background is best. Remember that your page won't look the same on all browsers.
Some browsers are more forgiving than others.
What I mean by that is, one little mistake in your html coding may not show on the browser you are using to build it. But it may look awful on another. Be sure to double check your tags for mistakes and make sure they are all closed. You can have your webpage checked for mistakes by visiting NetMechanic . You can have the best little website in all the world, but if you don't promote it or submit it for submission to major search engines, no one will see it.