If you can do without a word, do without. Yes - We can do better. They are the sign of amateurs, the perpetually enthused and the verbally challenged. Don't use italic characters unless you must. They are difficult to read.
Quotation marks draw unnecessary attention and can even confuse otherwise clear meaning.
Reserve quotation marks for quotes. Transitions should be invisible guides. But sometimes it works well because it's a smooth transition, and an expected colloquialism. Don't wait until the first sentence of the next paragraph to begin your transition. The last sentence of the preceding paragraph should start it.