I agree with the new banners upon the main Forum page etc. Yet as you stated 'we' are going through a website update and an in game update.
With that said I also agree with @Wyldercat to bring back the map population bar that hung around the side of your screen. I also agree with the new screenshots and art but in my opinion we need an overall change, if we are to add new things to an old site. Why not just re-vamp it? Make everything new. A new home banner especially.
As the site is currently under maintenance, my suggestion for the next edit upon it would be the tiny little rather annoying 'Dot points' that cover each line upon the Mini-profile's of the members and some other parts of the site like on the main forum page they are rather oddly spaced in the 'New Post' indication and upon the very bottom of the screen where it interferes with the Theme name, The html type etc. Editing this will easily polish off the website and make it look more completed than in maintenance in my opinion.
I am grateful we are finally having some changes and I am also grateful our wonderful staff are doing their best in to keeping this game/site up and running. I hope these suggestions are taken in consideration seeing they are wonderful suggestions and will help the over-all aesthetic of the game.