A millionaire once told me, "Being at the right place, at the right time is largely dependent on luck - but a little forethought will greatly increase the odds in your favor."

Whether you buy Sirius stock because you like Stern, or Nike because you like Mike - you have to be able to see through the hype to make good decisions. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a whoopee cushion, don't let the first two seduce you into a situation you will later regret. Especially when it comes to your livelihood.

The problem with Internet Marketing these days is that the "next best thing" arrives in the morning and becomes the "next to the best thing" by the afternoon. It's not uncommon for cutting edge technology to be obsolete within 24 hours of launch. That's not to say you shouldn't jump on a good opportunity when it presents itself. You've simply got to keep trying, for the obvious reason that if you never swing - you'll never hit a home run. Just make sure there's a money-back guarantee to fall back on in the event you strike out.

As with most things in life, it all comes down to making good decisions. As a baby, you may think that frog looks tasty and believe that unless you can get it in your mouth - there's no way to know for sure. Fortunately, with a little age and guidance from others, you come to realize that life can be rich and fulfilling without certain experiences. The principle is the same in business: You don't have to try everything to excel.

Which brings us back to Internet Marketing. The last ten years have provided an effective baseline and we now know a few things as fact. Black hat strategies are shortsighted at best, but for those willing to play by the rules and put some effort into it - search engines remain the leading source of free traffic. Pay-per-click advertising, e-mail marketing, affiliate programs and banner ads are all effective to varying degrees, but when it comes to ROI, nothing beats being recommended by a major search engine.

While most Internet marketers are familiar with the "on-page" side of the SEO (search engine optimization) equation - it's the "off-page" elements that many are just now waking up to. Specifically, one-way inbound links from relevant pages - which search engines consider as unbiased votes of confidence in the site. Some will appear naturally over time, but you can expedite the process by adding your link to reputable directories - many of which provide free listings for quality sites.

Beyond that, your best bet is to focus on acquiring one-way links from websites relevant to yours. Keep in mind you should avoid getting too many links with the exact same text in a short period of time. And above all, don't wait for them to come to you. Inaction is the biggest killer of dreams. Go out and find potential partners. Talk, network, make deals with your competition if you have to - but get those links. They are your best references as far as the major search engines are concerned and will override virtually any shortcoming your site may have.

In our experience, it's better to look at Internet Marketing as more of a challenge than a race. Think of it as swimming up a slow moving creek. Some people start out cutting through the water like an Olympian, others make a lot of noise and eventually go under, but the determined few who make slow and steady progress - they are the ones who eventually prevail.

As far as trends are concerned, the Internet is barely out of diapers and the best opportunities are yet to come. Keep your antenna up and if you get an inside tip - act on it. In the meantime, my motto is: "Stick with what works, learn from the experiences of others and keep the friggin frog out of your mouth."