Uhm, text is typically SUPPOSED to load and display before the images… that’s nothing out of the ordinary.
THOUGH if you want to know what’s wrong with the page and likely making it more pronounced an effect, the 300k of images with zero images off graceful degradation could be a contributing factor. The 127k banner image for example being used instead of plain text making that information effectively not exist for search engines or images off users.
The use of HTML 5 a specification not even out of draft and therefore should NOT be used in the deployment of production websites isn’t helping matters much either; In fact, the legacy versions of IE where that stupid ‘html 5 shiv’ nonsense ends up being loaded could be the root of your problems… Alongside the typical jquery for nothing bloat.
In fact, I am seeing exactly what you describe in IE7 and IE6 … and it’s that HTML5Shiv javascript implementation causing it.
Here’s a tip - NOBODY has ANY business trying to use HTML5 to build a deployment website yet, and throwing javascript at the old browsers to try and do so is NOT the answer. In it’s current draft form HTML 5 exists solely for the purpose of testing, NOT for creating real world websites.
Do yourself a huge favor — it’s called XHTML 1.0 STRICT or HTML 4.01 STRICT… the current RECOMMENDATIONS from the W3C.
Other things to clean up would include the nonsensical heading orders (skipping to h3 and h5), the effectively made-up rel values (prettyphoto?!?), repeated use of images for text content, unneccessary classes on like elements that have a perfectly good classed wrapping element (.subheaders for example), lack of content first source order making it painful to use on handhelds, no blockquote around the actual blockquote while using blockquote around what should probably be EM or STRONG, H2/H3 pairings for what should be a single header with a SMALL tag inside it, total lack of graceful degradation, etc, etc…
Bottom line – time to throw it out and start over. You went down a very BAD path by trying to deploy HTML 5 before it is actually ready for use on real websites.
I would suggest markup along these lines:
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
<html
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
lang="en"
xml:lang="en"
><head>
<meta
http-equiv="Content-Type"
content="text/html; charset=utf-8"
/>
<meta
http-equiv="Content-Language"
content="en"
/>
<meta
name="description"
content="Sylvan Lake’s Atheletic training facility featuring a hockey treadmill, synthetic ice, turf, gym and trained instructors to help you train like a pro in your sport."
/>
<meta
name="keywords"
content="athletic, facility, hockey, ice, turf, gym, instructors, sport"
/>
<link
type="text/css"
rel="stylesheet"
href="screen.css"
media="screen,projection,tv"
/>
<title>
Sylvan Lake Atheletic Facility
</title>
</head><body>
<div id="pageWrapper">
<h1>
<span>Complete<span></span></span> Athlete
<small>Fitness Classes & Sport Specific Training For Athletes of All Ages</small>
</h1>
<ul id="mainMenu">
<li>Home</li>
<li><a href="pricing.php">Programs & Pricing</a></li>
<li><a href="about.php">About Us</a></li>
<li><a href="facility.php">Facility</a></li>
<li><a href="team.php">Our Team</a></li>
<li><a href="registration.php">Registration Forms</a></li>
<li><a href="contact.php">Contact Us</a></li>
</ul>
<div id="contentWrapper><div id="content">
<img src="images/promotional/promo.jpg" alt="Promo" class="plate" />
<a
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N2I0wEbSJo"
title="Complete Athlete Facility Video"
>
<img
src="images/video/fp-vidthumb.jpg"
alt="Complete Athlete Facility Video"
class="leadingPlate"
/>
Click here to see Skating Treadmill in action.
</a>
<div class="homeTopSubsection">
<h2>
CHECK IT OUT!
<small>See Complete Athlete's Facilities!</small>
</h2>
<ul class="mainpage">
<li><b>Skating Treadmill</b> with 8’ x 8’ Platform with Stickhandling Platform & Shooting Extension</li>
<li><b>Synthetic Ice Surface</b> - Skating, Shooting, Stickhandling, Goalie Training</li>
<li><b>Artificial Turf </b>for Agility Training</li>
<li><b>Full Set of Weights</b> and cardio equipment</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<h2>“Absolutely loved it!”</h2>
<p>
Logan was invited to use this facility and he absolutely loved it!<br /> Thanks, Jim.
</p><p>
<cite>-Terry Somerville.</cite>
</p>
</blockquote>
<!-- .homeTopSubsection --></div>
<div class="subsection">
<h2>Welcome To Complete Athlete</h2>
<p>
Finally, an athletic training center that caters to the needs and wants of young athletes. We offer sport-specific training programs under the guidance of certified personal trainers and athletes respected in their sport.
</p><p>
<em>We believe that to be your best, you must train like the best</em>
</p>
<!-- .subsection --></div>
<div class="halfSection">
<h2>
TRAIN WITH A GOAL IN MIND!
<small>
Complete Athlete is geared for <em>your success!</em>
</small>
</h2>
<p>
Jim Lawrence is a long-time resident of Sylvan Lake with a passion for hockey and athletic success. He knows what it takes to becoming a successful athlete,or to be fit - to be your best!
</p>
<a href="about.php" class="more">Read More About Our Facilities...</a>
<!-- .halfSection --></div>
<div class="halfSection">
<h2>State of the Art Training Facility</h2>
<ul>
<li>Over 6000 Square Feet of Training Space</li>
<li>Full set of weights and cardio equipment</li>
<li>Bright and Open Floor Plan</li>
<li>Lots of Paved Parking</li>
<li>Accessible Location</li>
<li>Large Offices, Rooms & Mezzanine for Lease</li>
<li>Affordable general monthly memberships</li>
</ul>
<!-- .halfSection --></div>
<ul class="imageStrip">
<li>
<a href="images/facility-strip/large/turf.jpg">
<img src="images/facility-strip/thumbs/turf.jpg" alt="Artificial Turf" />
</a>
</li><li>
<a href="images/facility-strip/large/synth-ice.jpg">
<img src="images/facility-strip/thumbs/syn-ice.jpg" alt="Synthetic Ice" />
</a>
</li><li>
<a href="images/facility-strip/large/facilities.jpg">
<img src="images/facility-strip/thumbs/facility.jpg" alt="Facility" />
</a>
</li><li>
<a href="images/facility-strip/large/skating-tread.jpg">
<img src="images/facility-strip/thumbs/skate-tread.jpg" alt="Skating Treadmill" />
</a>
</li><li>
<a href="images/facility-strip/large/kids.jpg">
<img src="images/facility-strip/thumbs/kids.jpg" alt="Hockey Kids" />
</a>
</li>
</ul>
<!-- #content, #contentWrapper --></div></div>
<div id="sideBar">
<img src="images/sidebar/yng-ath.jpg" alt="Training Center" />
<div class="subsection">
<h2>Hours:</h2>
Mon - Thurs: 4pm - 9:30pm<br />
Fri: 4pm - 8pm<br />
Sat: 9am - 7pm<br />
Sun: 9am - 6pm<br />
<h2>We Offer:</h2>
<ul>
<li>Sport Specific Training for athletes of all ages</li>
<li>General Memberships</li>
<li>Fitness Classes</li>
<li>Personal, group & team lessons on synthetic ice</li>
<li>Personal, group & team fitness training on artificial turf</li>
<li>Personal, group & team cardio and weight training on weights and core body</li>
<li>Individual Motion analysis of athletes skating stride</li>
</ul>
<a href="pricing.php">Learn More About Our Services...</a>
<h2>Directions:</h2>
1A Industrial Drive<br />
Sylvan Lake, AB<br />
<br />
Just Off Hwy 20, <br />
Just north of Clearview Glass<br />
<br />
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1A+Industrial+Drive+Sylvan+Lake+Ab+T4S+1P4&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=44.47475,91.669922&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1+Industrial+Dr,+Sylvan+Lake,+Division+No.+8,+Alberta+T4S+1P4,+Canada&z=16">Click Here for a Map</a>
<h2>Links</h2>
<a href="http://www.sylvanlakeminorhockey.com/">Sylvan Lake Minor Hockey Assoc.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.redlinehph.com/">Redline HPH</a>
<!-- .subsection --></div>
<!-- .sideBar --></div>
<div id="footer">
<ul>
<li><a href="index.php">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="pricing.php">Programs & Pricing</a></li>
<li><a href="about.php">About Us</a></li>
<li><a href="facility.php">Facility</a></li>
<li><a href="team.php">Our Team</a></li>
<li><a href="registration.php">Registration Forms</a></li>
<li><a href="contact.php">Contact Us</a></li>
</ul>
© Complete Athlete. All Rights Reserved <br />
<a href="http://www.tripletwistmedia.com">
Designed & Developed by Triple Twist Media Inc.
</a>
<!-- #footer --></div>
</body></html>
Which has PROPER heading orders, can be coded to gracefully degrade when you make the CSS, has ALL the hooks needed to apply pretty much the same styling, and despite adding formatting to it, more text and a keywords meta is still less code since it throws away the useless IE conditional comment in the head and all the pointless wrapping elements like ‘figure’ that HTML5 bloats out sites with.