Q: At the beginning of any how-to article, open with a brief introduction that lets the reader know what the article is about. Explain the process briefly and let the reader know about any important tools or equipment they’ll need for the task. Also, try to let the reader know why they might want to take on the steps, like getting a better sound if they tune their guitar.  Your introduction should only be about a paragraph long. If it’s any longer than that, the reader might lose interest before they get to the steps. For instance, if you're writing an article like How to Train Your Cat to Wear a Harness, your introduction might tell the reader the benefits of walking a cat on a harness, and encourage them that they'll have a better chance of success if they're patient and consistent. You might also indicate what materials are best for a cat harness. No matter how simple a step seems, it's important to include everything in your how-to. If you skip something because it seems obvious, and a reader doesn't know to do it, then they might end up missing something important from their project. For instance, in a recipe article, always tell the reader when they should preheat the oven. If your reader is following along with your how-to, you don't want to surprise them with something they should have already done. Make sure all of the steps are arranged in the order that your reader will need to complete them. For example, if you're describing how to paint furniture, you would tell the reader to prime the object, let the primer dry, then sand the primer, all before you tell the reader to start painting. If you tell the reader to start painting, then mention that they should have primed the piece first, the reader might have to sand down the piece and start over. Not every how-to will deal with a simple progression. If the process isn't made up of one step ordered after another, try organizing your steps according to what your reader should try first or what they'll need to do most often.  If you're writing a how-to on caring for damaged hair, for instance, your earlier steps could deal with conditioning your hair daily and washing your hair less often, followed by steps on using weekly deep conditioning treatments and protecting your hair from the sun, then finally less common options like visiting a salon for a keratin treatment. Tell the reader what to do in specific language, using action verbs like "Write," "Apply," "Cut," or "Mix." Try to explain each step as clearly and simply as possible. After all, the purpose of your article is to teach someone to do something they've never done before. Avoid using vague phrases for your step titles, like “Be prepared” or “Know what you want to do.” You want each reader to feel like the instructions apply to them specifically. With that in mind, each step should address the reader with words like “you” or “your.” However, avoid using first person words like “I,” “me,” or “our.” This will make your article easier to read, and it will make the reader feel more connected to your instructions.  For instance, in an article like How to Drive, you might say something like, “Check your mirrors before you start the car.” Then, in the wrap text for the step, you could detail how the reader can adjust the rearview and side mirrors in their car. In a baking article, you could say something like, "Stir the melted butter into your dry mixture." Avoid making assumptions about the reader’s gender. For instance, the reader of an article on how to apply mascara isn’t necessarily a female. Also, don’t assume your readers necessarily live in the same country as you. Remember to include both metric and imperial conversions for any measurements you include in your article. Long blocks of text can be intimidating for a reader, and they can sometimes skim over important information. To avoid this, break up long steps with substeps or bulleted lists. You can also use substeps to give the reader examples or to go into more detail about a subject. For instance, if you’re writing an article on How to Write a Thank You Note, your step might tell the reader to open with a direct acknowledgment of the gift you received. Your substep might then include scripting, such as: “Try saying something like, ‘Thank you so much for sending me flowers for my birthday!’”
A: Open with an introduction that summarizes your article. Write one step for each action the user needs to take. Organize the steps in chronological order whenever possible. Follow a logical order if the process isn't chronological. Use clear, commanding language to describe your steps. Address the reader directly. Include substeps or bulleted lists to give the reader more information.

Q: Segmentation can allow you value each segment of your customer base. This is important, as 80 percent of your sales typically come from only 20 percent of your customers. Identify those groups that provide the highest volume of sales and quantify the total volumes for those groups. These are your high-value segments. You can then use this information to refocus your marketing efforts, prioritize service to this group, and adjust your offerings to more closely meet their needs. Understanding your most important segments can allow you to change your marketing efforts to reach those segments more directly. You can edit your advertising language and message to appeal more clearly to them. You can also change your advertisements for each product line to appeal to the corresponding segments that buy that product line. This allows for fewer wasted advertising dollars. Segmentation can help you see which customer groups are the most profitable for you. You can more easily see which groups go on to do the most business with you and buy the more expensive items or service packages. You can then compare this to the money you spend advertising to them or serving them to assess which are the most profitable. This information will allow you to reassess your customer prioritization and, by doing so, increase your profit margin. Once you know exactly who is buying each of your products or service, you can make changes to them to better appeal to these groups. These changes will make the product more useful and more appealing to the group in question. This, in turn, will give you an advantage over your competitors and may increase customer loyalty and satisfaction. You can also apply what you learn to your customer support and other products to create a whole customer experience tailored to a particular segment or segments.
A: Value each segment. Focus your marketing efforts. Prioritize different segments. Improve your offerings.

Q: Also create ovals for the feet and a zig-zag line for the tail.
A: Create two circles for the head and the body. Draw out other guidelines like the face, the ears, the hands with circles and lines. Start drawing out the Pokémon figure with small fingers and larger toes. Draw other details like the eyes, the nose, the mouth and the tail. Start coloring the drawing with the base colour. Complete coloring the Pokémon character.

Q: "A lot" is a noun phrase (an indefinite article a + a noun) that functions as an adjective to refer to the quantity of something. This makes it like any other noun phrase, such as "a wagon" or "a puppy," and it is always spelled as two words. For example:  I have a lot of money. I have a lot of burritos. I have a lot of Bratz dolls. I like you a lot. "A lot" is often used in informal conversation to describe the quantity of something, but it is usually considered too colloquial for use in formal prose. Some people prefer to use a lot to describe quantities for collective nouns, or things that cannot be counted individually, such as sugar or water. For example: "There was a lot of sugar on the floor." It may be preferable to use other words, such as "several," "many," or "a great deal of" when referring to count nouns (things that can be counted individually). Allot is a verb, something you do, rather than an adjective that describes something.  For example:  He was allotted three feet of space to set up his art stall. I will allot these lottery tickets to my friends. It no longer exists as an acceptable word in English. It was taught in the U.S. school systems in the 60's through the 90's which may be causing some confusion between generations. If you catch yourself writing alot, even in informal situations, rewrite it as a lot as it is the accepted appropriate use.
A:
Use the informal phrase "a lot" when you wish to describe quantity. Understand that "a lot" is often considered slang. Use "allot" when you are referring to giving out, apportioning, dividing or granting something. Refrain from using "alot". Practice your usage.