We know what it’s like to read a really good piece of article, a book, a pamphlet, or an introduction. We’ve had them before. It’s engrossing, evocative, and addicting.

So why not some content live up to such experience. Why do we jump from websites to websites, blogs to blogs, and often leave unsatisfied.

The truth of the matter is bad writing exists. Even with the writers’ best intentions, some results don’t serve the readers well. They can be too complicated, or laden with typo and grammar errors, incomplete – the list goes on.

Good news, though: There’s a recipe for good quality writing that some authors seem to forget. We will discuss some of those vital components.

Hopefully, as you walk away, you’ll look out for those in the articles you read. And make your own content a better one too.

1. Good Content Knows Its Audience

For writers out there, know your audience.

I know you might have read this type of advice on almost any articles about better writing. But this is where most writers fail to acknowledge. When I say write for your audience, you have to be sure of your readers’ goals, personality, and professional backgrounds.

I’m sure some of you have heard the advice on using brief sentences, simpler words, and compact paragraphs. But that advice is crap. Not all readers are fond of that style, and indeed, it doesn’t work on some niche websites and topics.

Take, for instance, legal websites. Most writers in this field use highfalutin words as well as complex-compound sentences to expound their thoughts. And that’s ok. Sure, it won’t work in marketing and their target audience will find it complicated. What works for one website may not work for another.

So in considering the target audience — their vocabulary, education, experience — you’ll tailor better content that will satisfy their search queries. The kind of style, paragraph, and sentence length will vary. But once the audience persona is built beforehand, everything will follow through.

Take a look at this introduction from a logo design article:

Source: DesignCrowd

It’s simple. The writer avoids highfalutin words and long paragraphs. Given that the audience is mainly business startups planning to rebrand their logo designs, it’s perfectly fine to have it written this way.

Read on to see how different is this type of content from the Harvard Legal Review, one of the world’s most influential law journals:

Source: Harvard Legal Review

Compared with the DesignCrowd article, this uses long paragraphs and sentences. This makes sense due to its reputation as a resource of legal professionals, business executives, and political figures.

By now, we see that imposing a specific style on writers is crappy advice. What you need to focus on is the reader. And anything that provides value to the audience will level up the quality of any content.

2. Personal Stories Sell Better

Two million articles are published every day. That’s a massive amount of content. The online world is already saturated with answers from all different types of content creators. So how do you stand out?

My writing professor once told me that if you’re not an expert in a field, where certainly someone will always be more knowledgeable than you, the best way to craft your writing is to sprinkle some of your personal experiences.

It’s personal for a reason. It’s unique and no one has the same experience other than you, so other people can’t tell your stories.

Most importantly, though, stories sell. People are more likely to purchase a product and service when they are presented with customer stories and experiences. It’s science. We’re just more biologically wired to believe stories than facts.

Plus, it’s delightful to read a personal take on something. It makes the writing fun and you know for sure you won’t find that exact experience elsewhere.

Source: The New York Times

While some articles will introduce the readers to facts and definitions, this article from the New York Times is brushed with a personal touch.

One advantage of writing in such a way is that you don’t have to be an expert on a topic. (Note expertise helps a great deal when it comes to answering queries.)

You just have to be honest with yourself and with your readers about what you went through or how something made you feel.

Ironically, it builds credibility as readers will find you as someone they can trust and whose writings they can rely on.

If you’re still doubtful over the importance of stories. Take these words from the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs:

”The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”

3. Linking To Studies Builds Credibility

Personally, I love checking links that refer to certain studies mentioned in the article. I’d love to make sure that the statistics are accurate and fair.

Especially for articles that have a bold perspective, any studies that support their view should have an anchor link to the original research. Or else, people will inevitably think it’s all made up.

Take a look at this article from the New York Times. There’s a link that points to the study. Someone who wants to read further on the statistics can jump on that link than rummage the Internet.

The link refers to this study:

Source: The New York Times

Linking to authoritative is good for the article in several ways. It bolsters its domain rating and builds readership credibility.

But most importantly, readers will know the writer did a good job. That they have an educated and research-backed opinion from a wealth of credible sources.

The keyword though is credible. Steer clear from shady studies commissioned by companies as promotional opportunities. Knowing where to link to is part of the skill.

4. Quotes Leading Experts, Pioneers

The New York Times is a good example of this, hence they trump most blogs and online news sites.

If you noticed, I mentioned lots of examples from the “leading newspaper of record.” And their use of expert quotations is one reason I applaud their content.

Sure it helps to have a writer who’s been in and out of the industry. But it takes a different level to provide what real experts have to say. 

Quotations from people mark high-quality content, especially if they have spent years in the field, have written a book, or have led a laboratory, a company, or an institution.

Below is an example of an article with good quotation. Dr. Clua is an expert in shark profiling and so it makes sense to write down her opinion on the matter.

Source: The New York Times

You might be thinking, that’s a newspaper. And newspaper reports are largely on politics where lots of people in the dividing line have something to say.

But I believe, even content marketers and other writers can learn from this way of writing if they want to level up the quality of their output.

Whether the topic is about the sickness signs of dog poop, someone has to be credible enough to tell what’s the deal about it.

Take a look at this article written by Neil Patel on his blog. He used the words of Jay Baer to expound on ideas

Source: Ubersuggest

Many content marketers fall prey to the notion that their ideas and voice alone are enough to spread awareness without needing the perspectives of other influencers in the field.

Influencers are not only good resources of ideas, but also they’re opportune promoters of content, according to Andy Crestodina, content marketing expert and author of a best-selling book Content Chemistry. “An ally in creation is an ally in promotion.”

5. Visuals are Captivating

When was the last time you’ve been to a website with no graphics at all? It must have been a very long time.

Whatever websites we look at, we always see a picture or two displayed at the top, middle, sides, even at the bottom of the page.

Websites are constantly vying for the readers’ attention. And to hook readers, apart from using engaging titles and introduction, web owners bombard them with high-quality photos and flashing images. Why not, people process images 60,000 times faster than text. That means, we can interpret visuals in 13 milliseconds.

One recipe for a good article comprises visuals. We see it on Ahrefs, on the Washington Post, Masthead, and a lot more, so much so that it has become the typical way to a good quality content writing.

Certain websites are good examples of visual explainers. Ahrefs, for instance, whenever they need to make a point, there’s a picture. In fact, for most categories, there has to be an image supporting it.

Source: Ahrefs

But a warning, though, excessive use of images can strain the reader’s eyes. It can be heavy to see so many pictures in a single content. So use it sparingly and with a clear purpose. If it’s there to demonstrate something that no links or other content can help, then it’s good. Other than that, a simple block of word explanation or bulleted lists might help.

To Wrap It Up

Is there already too much content across the web? If we’re talking about low-quality crap. Sure there’s lots of it. But high-quality ones are rare. In fact, it’s increasingly difficult for typical people to access articles when paywalls block a good deal of authoritative websites.

So if you are going to write something, be it for marketing or politics, write something that really provides value.

Know that, although you’re the writer, it’s not about you. Your content has to help your readers. Give them the answer they need, the entertainment they want, or the inspiration they long for.

Reducing your credit card debt is indeed a goal worthy of pursuit. This is especially true if you have multiple credit cards with full balances. After all, trying to catch up can be a challenge. Another worthwhile endeavor is reducing the interest fees you pay on the credit card balances.

If those aims are what you’re out to accomplish, the next item on your agenda should be to find the best means of credit card debt consolidation. 

First Things First

As good as this sounds, there are several factors to consider before thinking about using consolidation services:

1. Observe your spending habits – Trace your spending and expenses, to see if you’re spending more than you’re taking in. This can help you to reduce your debt.

2. Create a budget –  See how you can reduce your debt based upon how you reduce your spending.

3. Call the creditors – Contact the credit card companies to see how they can lower monthly payments, waive fees, reduce interest, or change your bill due date. This can also help in this process.

These tips can help you reduce your credit card debt without professional services. However, if you feel that these steps do not have any impact on your debt, it’s best to contact a debt consolidation service.

Choosing a Worthy Partner

There are many types of consolidation plans to reduce your credit card debt. It’s best to find a company that gives you solutions tailored to your needs, like the best credit card debt consolidation options at freedomdebtrelief.com.

Here are five of the most effective strategies.

1. Take out a loan – A number of companies offer personal loans to consolidate your credit card debt. With this option, explore the interest rates on the loan. The idea is to get the lowest possible interest rates with the loan when compared to the current rates of paying your credit cards individually.

2. Transfer debt to another credit card – You could get a better interest rate when you transfer your total credit card debt to one card. 

3. Consolidation through home equity – You can take out a loan against your home, if your home value is higher than your mortgage balance. 

4. Explore a debt management plan – Contact a credit counseling agency to have them create a debt management plan (DMP) to suit your needs. The credit counseling professional works with your card issuer to secure a reduction in interest rates on multiple high-interest cards. They also negotiate with your card companies to secure a reasonable monthly payment. — one you can comfortably afford each month. You’ll then deposit the funds into an account each month from which the counselor will pay your creditors. 

5. Work with a debt negotiation company–These firms can be the best when you want to settle with your creditors altogether. They work with the debt collectors to clear the debt for an amount less than you owe.

Creditors are often amenable to this approach because it usually mans your next visit will be to a n attorney to draft a filing for bankruptcy protection. They know the likelihood of getting anything at al is greatly reduced in that event, so they’re often willing to settle for less than you owe.

There are some major reasons to explore the best means of credit card debt consolidation. One reason is reducing your stress by having someone work with the debt companies.  A second reason is paying multiple cards on time and avoiding late payments. The third reason is getting back on your feet financially, by reducing interest rates, late fees, and increasing your savings as well.

When you’re involved in API design, much of the hard work you’ve done to bring the API to life is invisible to the end user. Many of the APIs that ordinary consumers are happy with take mere seconds to fulfill their requests. However, getting to that point is neither as easy nor as quick for developers. There’s a lot of coding, mocking, maintenance work, and documentation to be done before the API is anywhere close to hitting the market. But one thing makes all the difference in helping developers clear all these steps in a timely and efficient manner: great API design.   

As with many other software and hardware products, thoughtful design matters when it comes to APIs. It ensures smooth implementation and usage experiences, and it also sets a precedent for better work in the future. In contrast, flawed design can obstruct developers’ initial workflow, cause expensive delays, and leave something to be desired in terms of end user satisfaction. Sadly, many API developers commit the same design mistakes over and over again before they find out what they can do better. By then, they’ll have wasted time, resources, and momentum that’s hard for them to get back.  

If you want to get the process right as soon as possible, avoid these six common design flaws. By doing so, you’ll make the most out of the development cycle and realize the full potential of your API.   

Being Inconsistent About Design Tools and Design Environments 

Consistency is one of the most important values in the API design process. But oftentimes, coding work can become very inconsistent because it isn’t executed according to a set standard. One of the best things you can do to avoid sloppy and inconsistent design work is to standardize your tools, environment, and workflow. Doing this will make it easier for you to replicate the same quality of work across different tasks.  

It’s never too late to standardize your toolset and environment for the better. Try the Stoplight API design tools on Stoplight’s visual editor to achieve better consistency, as well as momentum, on your API design.  

Not Following Common API Naming Conventions 

You have a lot of freedom in terms of how you design your API. But in terms of approaches to take, especially for REST APIs, it’s good to stick to industry practices that are widely accepted. It ensures that you and your fellow API designers are speaking the same language when you’re deciding how to build the API. One example is the naming conventions for REST API URLs. The norm is to use plural concrete nouns, not abstract nouns or verbs. After all, URLs are supposed to direct to resources that are objects, not actions.  

In short, avoid the design flaw of going against commonly accepted notions for API design. If you stick to the formula, coding work will be much less confusing on your part as well as those of fellow developers.  

Being Redundant and Not Following Standard Practices When Designing Parameters 

Another area of API design that sees quite a number of mistakes is the formatting of parameters. Too often, developers write code in a format that doesn’t serve a clear purpose. Other times, they may write parameters in one way for one line and then type it a completely different way in the next.  

As a developer, you can avoid mistakes like these by being more careful about every line of code. The format you use should make sense, be consistent across fields, and not be a pain for your fellow developers to crack. If you trim unnecessary or redundant parameters in the body portion of each response and request, then your API design will read much more smoothly for it.  

Mixing Up HTTP Methods 

REST API design in particular anchors itself on the proper usage of HTTP request methods. The most well-known of these are GET, PUT, POST, PATCH, and DELETE. Whenever any of these methods are involved, they have to facilitate the kind of action that they’re commonly expected to.  

To illustrate simply, GET should only be used for requests for retrieving data, while DELETE should only be used for removing the resource. HTTP request methods should never be mixed up, and should always be consistent in their usage throughout the API code. Rookie developers benefit best from reviewing the purpose of each HTTP request method. But even advanced-level developers should spend a little extra time making sure that each usage of request method aligns with its rightful purpose.   

Mishandling of API Errors 

No API is free from experiencing errors. In fact, the more complex the API product is, the more capable you have to be at handling errors. Thus, error messages are an important part of the API design process. Unfortunately, it’s rather common for developers to obfuscate the true nature of the error in their messages. When that happens, users are left in the dark about what went wrong in their request and why.  

When writing your own error messages, it would help to detail what type of error occurred and what the user can do to fix it. To be safe, defer to HTTP protocols for different types of errors instead of going by an arbitrary error classification and error message system.   

Not Keeping Track of Versions 

The last on this list pertains to API versions. Though the API may have undergone a facelift at one point or another, some developers neglect to include this in their design. As a consequence, users may struggle to know which version of the API they’re using and which features are either compatible or no longer compatible.  

The solution to this flaw is simple: always implement versioning on your APIs. Include version numbers on your URLs or use custom headers for each version as needed. Properly versioning your API’s resources will give your users clarity on how advanced or upgraded its features are. It will also save you and your fellow developers a lot of grief about segregating past resources and present ones.  

Conclusion 

In practice, an API with these design flaws may still actually work. But how well do you think it will work? How easy will it be to troubleshoot or to fix? How prepared will you and your team be to scale up the API when the time comes?  

Practical, thoughtful, and consistent design will sustain an API long after its creation. Aim not only to complete the API, but to launch a product that’s representative of the best design work you can offer to your users. 

Many of the world’s most important industries have made the shift toward digitization, and the modern insurance industry is no exception. The most promising insurance companies know that bolstering their current tech stack is the key not only to survival but also growth. But simply acquiring a new type of technology, such as a cloud-based insurance management system, doesn’t guarantee immediate success. Those who work in the insurance sector must also be aware of how that technology’s being used—and how to leverage it to stay competitive.  

What are the most important trends to watch out for now that the insurance industry is quickly going digital? Here are five considerations that you should make, as well as a treatise on how these could affect your insurance company: 

Heightened Popularity of Digitization for Insurance Businesses 

The first trend to be aware of is that digitization is fast becoming the norm in the industry. In general, more insurance businesses than ever before have made the move to digitize their operations. They have good reasons for upgrading to digital insurance platforms, namely the following: 

• Cloud-based platforms can fulfill essential tasks like pricing, risk assessment, and analytics with twice the efficiency of a legacy system that’s reliant on manual processes.  
   
• It’s also possible to use these platforms for complex and time-consuming steps in the insurance processes, such as triaging claims according to urgency.  

• Upgrading to better insurance technology can also enhance an insurance business’s customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities. 

Many of your peers in the industry are thinking about pooling more of their efforts and their resources into a digital transformation. It’s either that, or they have already done so. That means that the onus is on your company to adapt and become even more responsive to the clients enrolled in your insurance programs. 

Expansion of Insurance Programs to New Geographical Territories 

Aggressive international expansion is another trend you should watch out for. The most competitive global insurance companies have started branching out across borders and tapping new markets away from their home regions. Since their home markets may be flat, these companies have made use of digital technology to start expanding and building international awareness of their brands.  

For sure, insurance companies that are willing to expand have many challenges ahead of them. They will need to put in the time to study their new markets, as well as the regulations that govern the industry there. But the payoff is significant: in the long run, they’ll earn the lucrative opportunity to sell their insurance products to a fresh customer base. Who’s to say that you won’t be in that position someday? Perhaps you can consider international expansion a future goal for your own company.  

Even Simpler and Faster Insurance Processes 

The speed and efficiency of the digital era have made one thing more apparent—that customers prefer things to be simple and straightforward. The same applies to enrolling in insurance programs and going through the motions of their insurance processes. Long, complicated, and difficult processes cause customer fatigue and decrease their overall satisfaction with their carrier. In contrast, streamlined knowledge and service delivery improve customer satisfaction and drive higher customer retention rates.  

This means that overly complex “catch-all” insurance programs—once the cornerstone of legacy insurance systems—are on their way out. Simplified products and processes are in, and they will likely be for a long time. That’s why insurance businesses who have gone the digital route should use the upgrade in their tech stack to streamline their existing programs. Keep this in mind when you’ve deployed a new digital insurance platform of your own.  

Unbundled Insurance Programs 

Speaking of catch-all insurance programs, a greater number of insurance companies have stopped relying on them. Your peers may now be offering risk-based products that are smaller and more manageable for their customers’ life stages. These unbundled policies prove appealing to the emerging millennial market, many of whom are getting insurance for the first time. The “unbundled” approach allows them to slowly but surely get used to the processes and services of their carriers.  

Unbundled products are also easy to implement and monitor for compliance using a digitized system. So if you’re wondering what new approaches to take using your new digital insurance technology, decoupling your policies is one of them.  

Wider Availability of Personalized Insurance Products 

The last trend that you should be aware of pertains to the delivery of personalized insurance products. Nowadays, the spotlight is on individual customers, and the custom factor has become a key business strategy in digital insurance.   

There’s now a greater variety of personalized offerings in insurance carriers’ catalogs. Moreover, products are priced at ideal ranges for different customer life stages, and would-be customers receive targeted messaging through channels like email marketing.  

Today’s digital insurance technology has helped realize a higher level of personalization, which companies should use to their advantage. You can use your platform to cater to the profiles of your individual clients, especially younger workforce constituents who are savvy with technology. By adding more personal touches to your current lineup of insurance products, you can make your company stand out and stay relevant in the industry.  

Final Words: Your Place in the Future of the Insurance Industry 

By now, it may be clear that an insurance digital transformation is underway for many. That kind of change may be good for your own core insurance system as well. Investing in a digital insurance platform may help you respond to your clients’ needs much better than before. That is what will cement your place as the insurance provider of choice amidst steep competition from your peers.   

For both trends and long-lasting indicators of success in the insurance industry, the goal is to stay at least one step ahead. Here’s to staying on top of your new technology and making an impact in digital insurance!