My blog was listed in FeedSpot's Top 100 Career Development Blogs!

Hi everyone! First of all I sincerely apologise for the massive delay in getting back to all of you with new posts, a lot of things got in the way of my schedule and for that I am very sorry. I can assure that will be back to posting again soon once I have things sorted but I received some surprising news that I must share with you today!

One of my main goals is sharing my content from the blog elsewhere to reach new readers from different platforms to engage further interest. A few weeks ago I submitted my blog to a company called FeedSpot, which is an online content reader dedicated to compiling RSS feeds from various blogs and websites all in one place in order to encourage the sharing of content and provide a personalised online reading experience. Later I received an email from the founder of FeedSpot, Anuj Agarwal, who said that my blog was selected for their list of Top 100 Career Development Blogs on the web! I was very surprised and excited that my blog was actually handpicked for one of their lists! Wow, this is an indicator that my content is getting recognised by others and it's is a good sign going forward! 

There it is: The Way the Web Works listed at 43! What a milestone!

First of all I would like to say a big thanks to FeedSpot for selecting The Way the Web Works as one of the Top 100 Career Development Blogs, I am very grateful for this achievement and I really appreciate it. Secondly I would like to encourage everyone to check out FeedSpot and have a look around, especially their Top 100 Career Development Blogs list! You can have a personalised reading experience too by signing up to FeedSpot and getting all the benefits of content curation in one place! Excellent stuff!

See you again soon!

Top 5 Websites for Content Curation

Hello readers! Time has flown by really quickly and it's almost the end of the month! I have had a lot of time to think about my current situation and it's safe to say that I definitely have it all together now and will be able to continue with the blog as normal. Now I know I promised a change in the content structure a few weeks ago and I can confirm that today will be the first post where I will be listing the top 5 websites of different categories! Finally I can pick up where I left off earlier and keep moving forward from now on. Anyway lets dive in, shall we?

In this post, I am going to be reviewing 5 particular websites that are some of the best in the field of 'Content Curation'. For those of you that don't know, Content curation is a form of online content management which involves a process of collating information from various sources that fall under a certain topic or category and placing them into an online feed or newspaper format. It's a pretty simple setup in my opinion, as funneling content into one feed helps to gain interest from audiences who enjoy reading about particular topics. Another great thing about content curation that it allows the author's work to be more recognized in the feed itself, leading to more visitors to the author's website and potentially include an increase in ad revenue. With that being said, here are the top 5 best websites specializing in content curation in no particular order:

1. Flipboard

Flipboard is a content curation platform dedicated to providing the best news-related stories from different areas of interest. The site itself is easy to use as all you have to do is create an account and select categories that you prefer reading about. Once completed, Flipboard will automatically search for articles from those categories and place them into a 'magazine' for your personalized reading needs. It's a pretty neat website to use as the functionality is crisp and smooth, works without any issues. Bonus points if you have a Samsung phone as the mobile version of Flipboard would be automatically downloaded in the app folder, perfect for personalized reading on the go. Excellent presentation of the curated stories and easy to read as well. It is suitable to a general audience.

2. Scoop.It

Scoop.It is a content marketing site that works in a similar way to Flipboard, however the only difference is that it's only suited to professional individuals or businesses who are looking to research various content sources and publish the best content in their chosen field in order to curate an online feed. When registering with Scoop.It, you need to have your own website and add topics of interest related to the company you work with. (e.g technology, business, finance). From there Scoop.It funnels through content from these topics and places them into an online newspaper format. It also gives you the opportunity to distribute your feed to other social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more; perfect for spreading your curated content to other channels and increasing professional brand/awareness. Another simple website that functions well for businesses, with great editorial/distribution features and represents professionalism in a new light. 

3. Paper.Li

Remember when I wrote about two of my reviews being published into Paper.Li's content curation platform a while ago? Well I definitely have some good things to say about this site. Paper.Li allows you and people within your professional network to curate content dedicated to your business or individual needs. There is also an interesting feature on the site where you can add special integrations that assist on the more technical side of things such as  analytics, email marketing, automation and much more. I can't think of another website that thinks outside the box of general content curation and strengthens the capacity of sharing curated content elsewhere. Great stuff. Also functions well on mobile. An excellent set of features and works like a breeze.

4. Pinterest

You might be wondering why I decided to add Pinterest in this list as it is usually regarded as a social network. However the presentation and format of this site is strongly influenced by content curation and online content feeds, but in the form of images and artwork. Again, it allows you to choose topics/genres/themes of interest which are increasingly vast in the photography and art scene, so you basically have many areas to choose from. Pinterest a nice mix of content curation and social networking and is suitable to the general audience. I think that the functionality on both desktop and mobile can be improved a little bit as well.

5. Pocket

This is a relatively new website that I came across recently. Pocket is a web service that allows general content curation that flows through one channel called a 'Pocket'. In this site you are given the opportunity to save important content to read later. Pocket strongly relies on the idea that saving content for later reading is a valuable time-saver where you don't have to read through your curated feed all at once. You don't even need to miss a story as it's all right there in the Pocket. a pretty neat concept for a new platform and I would recommend it to all the busy people who don't have time to read curated content during the day. Pocket is an interesting platform that might need some to future minor improvements down the track but overall a good site with neat presentation and use of concept.

That's it guys my first top 5 list is completed for the week! I hope you enjoy this new content and let me know what you think in the comments. See you again for a full website review next Monday! Thanks again!

IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT THE MONTHS AHEAD

Hi readers! I would like to apologize in advance for not posting anything this week but it looks like things are falling into place and moving too quickly on my end! Unfortunately there won't be any reviews this week as I try to come to terms with what I have been given here. There are a few things that I would like to get off my chest so I am just going to go in and explain what's going on at the moment:

Last week I received a message regarding  an opportunity to take part in a contract position with a local distribution company as a print marketing assistant, where I am supposed to handle/manage print communications and distribute them to residential and business areas. I was told that I will have flexible hours and the ability to maintain a work/life balance, so thats pretty good. In other words, I have a new job now! Sweet! Now I will be able to earn some extra cash on the side as a neat little independent contractor doing the rounds every few weeks so I am very excited to see how this goes from here!

Secondly I am going to be starting another semester of university studies very soon so I will be on my way to hopefully finishing a diploma this year. I will be working quite frequently on study at this stage as I am very determined to complete it and move on to the next stage of uni life in the form of a bachelor degree of some sort. Don't worry, this doesn't mean that I will stop posting on the blog. I'll just have to make time around my newly formed schedule to continue posting two days a week like I said I would, this will be something I have to do quickly so I can maintain a balancing act between new work, study and managing the blog.

Lastly I have been applying for a few small content writing jobs recently and waiting for approval on them. This is just something that I thought I would do on the side so I can improve on my writing skills and find my way around the content writing scene. I am quite excited about this and looking forward to see where this goes in the future.

Well that's pretty much it at this stage. There may or may not be more unexpected things popping up later on but hopefully this does not interrupt my posting schedule for the blog. I thought I would let you know as soon as possible in case you were wondering about my absence this week. I can confirm that I will be back to normal posting next week once I find a way to juggle these new tasks together. Anyway hope to see you again soon!

Website Review #11 - Prizerebel.com

Hello again! I am all set for another review today! Before I begin I would just like to provide an update regarding my content as this will be my last full review for Wednesdays as I am planning on switching to Top 5 lists from next week onwards. I will still be posting my normal full reviews on Mondays but posting Top 5 website lists on Wednesdays. The Top 5 lists will have the same format as a full review but a bit more condensed and shorter. I hope that this will be convenient for the readers and for me too as I am planning on diversifying the content on the blog and not make it too one-note. Anyway let's move on. 

Today I will be reviewing Prizerebel.com, which is another cool website to hang around on in your free time where you earn fantastic rewards and compete for prizes. Lets dive in to see what makes this site tick.

PrizeRebel is a GPT (get-paid-to) survey platform and rewards program which has been around since 2007. It  relies on the typical format of completing high-paying surveys for points which can be redeemed for cash via Paypal and gift cards; there is also an opportunity to compete in special contests to be in the draw to win more points and merchandise. PrizeRebel's concept and structure of its rewards program is somewhat similar to the website Swagbucks, but with a little bit of a twist with regards to prizes and points. Funnily enough, despite all of the praise for Swagbucks, I haven't had much of an experience on there as much as I have with PrizeRebel (which is probably a better alternative if you want cash money fast). This site has quickly become another favorite of mine as it has surprisingly become a really quick way to make small amounts of cash just by completing surveys that are worth the highest points and even looking through the hidden 'offer walls' for more ways to add to your points tally. Basically simply easy free money out of your computer! It's definitely a hidden gem in the rewards program market that is worth checking out. 

PrizeRebel.com Homepage - Simplified and plain presentation complete with short
descriptions of what the site offers.

When stepping into PrizeRebel's website, their claims of earning points for what is essentially free money in your pocket are placed front and center of their homepage in order to convey the message to the user that the program is legitimate and not a scam at all. This is a great way to assure that you are in safe hands and your points balance won't be tampered with. Signup to the site is easy, as you just simply register your details and you are automatically welcomed into PrizeRebel's rewards warehouse! From there you suddenly have a lot of opportunities thrown at you at once so you may not know where to start at first, but that's okay as there are help guides and FAQs available for your reference if you get stuck. 

In my experience, the best way to start earning points is to look through the various survey lists which are provided respectfully by some of the more popular survey sites on the web such as Toluna, OpinionWorld, Samplicious and more. But wait, there's more: Each list gets updated daily and you might even find surveys that are worth up to 200 or 300 points! That's literally high-paying when we talk about points and you simply cannot find anything like it elsewhere! It's an extremely eye-catching sight and you will actually see your points balance skyrocket quite fast! This was one of the first things that I noticed when I first got into PrizeRebel and I instantly thought that it was an excellent idea that makes it stand out from the rest. Great stuff! At PrizeRebel, the possibilities are endless and there is always a way to win points here so you won't be left out. You can also watch videos, invite friends to join (referrals) and participate in activities through the offer walls. This is just PrizeRebel's way of literally giving you all the chocolates in a box and seeing which one tastes good!

This is PrizeRebel's account portal with the survey lists on top. Notice the other ways to earn section below where you can earn points by completing special tasks.

With regards to rewards, PrizeRebel provides prizes in the form of over 600+ online gift cards, online games,and cash into your PayPal account. Basically if you earn enough points you would be able to meet the specified amounts for redeeming these rewards. So far I have only redeemed my points for PayPal cash but I might try giving the gift cards a go in the future. Another special feature I would like to point out is the ability to redeem a custom amount for PayPal. What this means is once you earn a substantial amount of points you would be able to redeem them for an amount of cash that is not specified in the original PayPal amounts. The PayPal amounts that can be redeemed are around $5, $10, $20 and up to $100, if you prefer you can apply for any amount of your choice between the specified numbers. This is another feature on PrizeRebel that is definitely unique as I have not seen it on similar sites and it just increases your confidence in gaining more points! Let's not forget it's promo code feature which can be unlocked when you subscribe to PrizeRebel's newsletter, where you will be sent a special promo code every few weeks or months and redeem it for extra points to your balance! How's that for a hidden bonus?

I absolutely love how this site proves to be one of the better survey sites on the web, with the ahead-of-its-time features and strongly legitimate gameplay. I would definitely recommend PrizeRebel for anyone who is looking to earn a quick buck in their spare time as it's functionality is great and you won't be tricked into any fake nonsense here. The site's presentation/design is overwhelmingly positive and welcoming, making it a very unique and entertaining experience for anyone.

Final Rating: 10/10

That's the end of another review for the week! I will start planning Top 5 lists next week so I can have them presented to you by Wednesday. I can't wait to share this new content on the blog and I hope you like it! In the meantime, see you next Monday for another full website review!

Website Review #10 - Workana.com

Hi everyone! Before I begin I would like to apologize for not posting my review as planned yesterday as it was my birthday and I was spending time with friends, family and ate some delicious cake! Anyway I am back now so I'd better get a move on.

Today I will be reviewing Workana.com, another interesting freelancing site that I found out about recently and has quickly become an instant favorite for looking into freelancing/remote work. Let me tell you a bit more about it:

For those of you that don't know, Workana is a freelancing network that is based out of Latin America, however it has since branched out internationally to appeal to a wider audience of freelancers worldwide. It is a relatively little known compared to similar sites, although fairly popular in Latin America, but it definitely has it's hidden advantages that would stand out amongst the much bigger platforms such as UpWork, Fiverr and AirTasker. 

Workana.com Homepage - Simple presentation with no mess, just a clean design and a claim
that is truthful and legitimate. 

Workana works just like any other freelancing site with it's bidding + proposal policies, the ability to find jobs that suit your skill set and the opportunity to communicate with clients via the built-in instant messaging systems. Now I would like to trace back to a statement that I made regarding the whole bidding and proposal setup that I mentioned in my review about Hubstaff Talent, where I wrote about the typically important idea of placing bids for projects and preparing standout proposals being seen as a difficult, time-consuming task which might not lead to a response from potential clients. This particular opinion that I had turned out to be a fairly incorrect due to my constant misunderstanding of the idea, as I have since registered for the larger-known sites (including Workana) to test out it's bidding strategies and proposals; turns out that it wasn't as hard as I thought because all I had to do was write the proposal in a similar style to a cover letter and think of a price that falls within the client's budget. That's it. It's still a 50/50 chance as to whether you would receive a response or not but I guess standing out against the pack is important in the 'gig economy'. Now that I have tried out the bidding + proposal system for myself, I can definitely say that my opinion has changed slightly.

Workana works as in a simple and basic fashion without many complex instructions, and signing up is as easy as 1,2,3. In the onboarding session, you register your details as per usual and read through the general policies. After this, you are required you to take a little quiz in order to help you understand the policies and your rights as a freelancer. I like that Workana does its best to push their policies as the top priority on the list, as it is extremely important that you work appropriately within the grounds of the website and keep your contacts private. Workana has an extensive job board that houses projects that are suitable to your skills and experience, just like any other freelancing platform. However applying for a job on Workana is surprisingly easy; their bidding and proposal system is actually the simplest one that I have come across so far. So if you ever have trouble with coming up with a standout proposal, there are helpful instructions located on the right hand side of the page that will guide you step by step on demonstrating your skills/experience, your preferred timeframes for the project and the most important part, planning a deadline (due date) for the project completion. It is actually an easy setup that I didn't even know about the first time and I am very pleased to say that for the first couple of projects that I applied for actually received responses from clients! That's right, I finally received a client's reply to my proposals and this is exactly how a freelancing platform should work, where both clients and freelancers can communicate freely without any restrictions or concerns. Excellent stuff!

Here is Workana's job board with some examples of available projects in data entry,
accounting, admin support etc.

These are just some of the advantages that Workana has in store for the modern freelancer, however I do see some room for improvement on the site in the future. I have noticed that the profile page is quite basic and adds little substance, which can be improved by possibly adding more sections such as educational background, more skills, certifications or the option to add your resume. There is no specific section for building a portfolio on Workana compared to the other platforms, as it says that you need to import it from a site called Behance (which from what I read is a portfolio creator for designers/artists). It would be nice if there was a way to show off your previous work in a built-in portfolio system on the site. Another thing I would like to add is that some of the projects on Workana's job board do not have as much information about deadlines or time frames and there is little to no substance on the job descriptions, but I understand that it is the client's responsibility to prepare easy-to-read project info and suggest appropriate time frame options.

Overall I think that Workana definitely has the potential to go forward in the freelancing market and compete with the bigger platforms with some improvement. It is a very simple website that cuts out all the complex instructions and really claims to be the better underdog. The site works like a breeze, and shows off a smooth, positive and colorful presentation yet keeps it's professional manner without being too out there. I would recommend Workana to the freelancers who are looking for basic, starter projects.

Final Rating: 5.5/10

That's it guys I hope you enjoyed reading the review today! I will be back tomorrow for another one to finish off the week! Just a reminder that my affiliate promotions and links are still available if you are interested. See you then!

Website Review #9 - Blogger.com

Hello guys! I'm back for another review so let's get a move on!

Today I will be reviewing Blogger.com. That's right, I am going to be reviewing the website that I use to host and publish my blog, and let's just say that I have some great things to discuss about this classic platform. Let's dig a little deeper into what makes this site tick:

Blogger is a blog hosting website that has been owned by Google since 2003. It provides basic blogging features and tools to help aspiring bloggers and content writers build and service their blog in a hassle-free manner. One of the main reasons that Blogger stands out from various blogging platforms is that its suitable for anyone who is ready to start a blogging career regardless of experience and knowledge, as it is willing to help guide you through some of the more technical stuff such as adding code, understanding analytics and the usual Search Engine Optimization instructions. Basically, Blogger will do most of the hard work for you; it works in a similar fashion to a normal website builder, except most of what you would be doing is done automatically. Typical things like designing separate pages, organizing your own layout, adding buttons and other integration features manually is obviously very time-consuming, however when you create a blog with Blogger, you do not need to bother with any of this; all you have to do is pick a template, customize the homepage, add your blog text and your done. The layout and themes are automatically setup and you do not need to worry about doing this yourself.

Blogger Homepage - Spacious design and excellent graphics that represent
simplicity on a new level.

Another thing that I would like to point out is that Blogger is 100% free to use, and you do not even need to pay to get all of the special features to take your blog to new heights. How many times have you tried building your own website or blog only to find out that you have to pay a hefty price for a 'Pro Upgrade' for some of the most important features to enhance your site's online presence? That is rubbish, with Blogger all of the features are simply handed down to you without having to pay a single dollar, and it is especially convenient for someone whose goal is to completely fulfill their hobby or career without having to deal with pricey online plans to boost credibility in the competitive online content writing market. This is my suggestion to you: If you are planning on creating a blog without having any unnecessary obstacles getting in the way of your content writing goals then it would be best to start with Blogger.

I remember checking out Blogger for the first time way back in around 2008-2009, when it was just about to take off. I was bored one day and decided to experiment with blogging for a while just for fun to see what it would be like. It was actually quite enjoyable to start off with, despite having little to no knowledge of blogging at the time. Fast forward to today and I never would have thought that I would be using Blogger to its full advantage and actually attempting to use it seriously this time. Now that I have extensive knowledge about content writing/blogging I seem to understand how the whole process works and I am excited to see where this takes me in the future.

The Blogger account portal shows off a special 'behind-the-scenes' look at what goes on into making a blogalong with the various tools and features to help enhance it. Here is the account portal for my blog as an example.

The first few steps of creating a Blogger account are simple; you simply sign in with your Google account, find a name for your blog, create a URL with a custom blogspot domain (or if you want to get a proper domain you can buy one online), pick a template for your blog homepage and that's it. Each of the templates on the blog has it's own layout so you don't have to create one yourself, and you are free to add any of the special widgets to your blog layout such as labels, blog archive, RSS feeds, links, images and more. Other simple tasks include creating blog posts, adding text to new pages and customizing the homepage. It's a pretty basic setup if you think about it, compared with other blogging platforms where you would have to endure complex processes that are incredibly time-consuming for the user. If you would prefer making some money from your blog then you are welcome to try Google Adsense if you are eligible or registering with various alternative ad networks to help you boost revenue by placing ads on your blog.

In the end, I think that Blogger is the best hosting platform to start off with if you prefer a more basic approach to blogging before moving on to more complex setups. The site oozes of simplicity and represents it very well. It is incredibly easy to use with smooth functionality and provides you with the best assistance to creating your first blog. Basically, Blogger will be with you every step of the way and is the first step in your content writing journey.

Final Rating: 10/10

Thanks for reading my review!

Website Review #8 - Savethestudent.org

Hello readers! Welcome to my first review of February! This month I am going to try changing things up in regards to content for the blog as well as providing more affiliate promotions for you! In my last review I did promise to take this blog to new heights so be sure to keep an eye out as I will be updating every few days and weeks of this month via social media and on the blog as well! Anyway let's move on to the review!

Today I will be reviewing Savethestudent.org, another fun website that is dedicated to students but with a different focus. I really enjoy the concept of this site and I am excited to tell you more about it.

Save the Student is a UK-based information service which solely specializes in financial advice for new and graduating students. The website's content stretches from typical money-related topics such as small businesses, banking and taxes to general career advice and housing information. But that's not all, it also features special student discounts which can be redeemed at various retail outlets and even competitions that students can participate in to be in the draw to win some great prizes! Another thing that is great about this site is that the content produced here is condensed and simplified in a way that young students can understand without having to read through unnecessary jargon or complex information. At Save the Student, you can get your financial problems answered without any hassle. There is no need to create an account for this site as it is free for anyone to use, however if you would like to enjoy a helpful bonus in the form of a money cheat sheet, I suggest you go ahead and register you email as you can get a simple step-by-step instructions on how to make and save money right in your inbox! That's right, you basically get the whole package, all of the information here on this site is designed to help you with your money matters and put you back on track. With almost every financial topic under the sun, Save the Student is packed with some of the best advice that money can't buy! (Do you get it?)

When you go into the website, you can see that it is presented in a neat, easy-to-navigate format. Scrolling down the page gives you a deeper insight into the various topics that it represents in regards to finance, not to mention all of the latest deals and competitions under the one roof. For such a small site, there is heaps of exceptional advice at hand for the curious students who are finding their way around the world of money management. This proves that the site strongly believes in teaching students about finance before they become old enough to manage it on their own, which in my opinion, is very important for future reference. Let's be honest, finance is an extremely broad umbrella with hundreds of sub-topics in between, so it may take a while to get your head around it; but with Save the Student, you can find the most relevant financial advice that can guide you during student life and beyond. Obviously, there are many ways that you can make money as a student, be it planning a small business on the side of your studies, searching through various 'side hustles', taking up special cashback offers at the bank or just simply saving up your cash for something special like a new car or house. You can find all of this information right here at Save the Student!

Save the Student Homepage - An excellent display of various finance info, clean
and tidy presentation and exciting design.

Another thing I would like to point out about Save the Student's content is it's interesting introduction into the topic of 'matched betting', which according to the site is the easiest way to make tax-free money by simply taking advantage of bonuses from betting bookmakers and placing opposing bets on a particular sport, keeping in mind that it isn't related to real gambling as you win either way. This was surprisingly one of the first topics that I came across when looking through the website for the first time a while ago. In my study break from university, I was desperately searching for simple ways to make money online as a side hustle during the holidays besides participating in survey programs and somehow stumbled upon this mysterious topic and instantly wanted to learn more about it. I was basically drawn in to the idea of matched betting that I thought I would give it a try later on. Obviously it is not for everyone and takes a bit of practice but with a bit of confidence and patience you could apparently be earning as much as you thought you would. I personally would like to thank Save the Student for their simplified info about matched betting as I have learnt quite a lot about it and can't wait to try it out in the future! Now that's another money-making bonus that I'm sure a lot of you have not heard about but it's a real hidden gem in the never-ending rabbit hole of money making strategies! I would also like to say that I have benefited from the wonderful finance info from Save the Student and have learnt a lot of new things about managing money!

Aside from general financial advice, Save the Student also offers helpful information relating to student employment and accommodation. Its careers section offers advice on various employment-related topics such as graduate programs for recently graduating students, part-time positions complete with a specialized job search engine, employment rights, tax counselling (for UK only) and the usual CV/Cover letter/job interview trifecta. For the accommodation section, there is advice on paying rent, finding student housing, dealing with housemates, home insurance and tenancy rights. This is basically every basic piece of advice handed to you so it would be better to follow it wisely and not get left behind.

This is an excerpt from an article in the Finance category. Easy to read information and quick links
on the side of the page make it a convenient experience.

Just a reminder that the website is primarily based in the UK so you might find some unfamiliar words or slang terms in the articles. Also their discounts and competitions are for UK students only as they use pounds for currency so unfortunately no international students can participate due to being outside of the country. The part-time job search engine mostly services UK jobs so you would not find any luck with looking for jobs in other countries here.

Overall, I think that the Save the Student does an excellent job in providing the necessary financial tools for students which will be extremely helpful in the future. I really enjoy the condensed and simple web design of the site as it runs very smoothly without any bugs or viruses. There is an exceptional amount of content on offer and has great functionality. I would recommend this site to any student who is struggling with money matters and would like to get back on track, because the advice at Save the Student is excellent and deserves some recognition! 


Final Rating: 9/10


That's it everyone! My first review of the month has finished! Catch me again on Wednesday as I serve up another one! Bye!