Obviously I failed to address one of the key points---getting away from the banner ads.
My main concern was/is the layout and the backgrounds. This is the first time I've built/designed a website myself. My original webpage (from 2+ years ago) was designed by someone else and was a total nightmare to update and maintain. As such, this is a learning curve for me, and I want to make it as appealing and user-friendly as I can.
Thanks to those who've replied so far.
Eric