Our audience ranges from someone launching their first Shopify store to operators running eight-figure brands. The content that performs best speaks to this entire spectrum without dumbing things down or getting lost in complexity. You’re writing as a peer who’s been there, not a guru on a stage.

Here’s what that looks like in practice: when you’re explaining abandoned cart recovery, you acknowledge that a $10K/month store needs different tactics than a $2M/month operation. You use real numbers instead of saying “increase conversions.” You teach the thinking process, not just the tactic. And you write like you’re sitting across the table at a mastermind, not presenting a slide deck.

We don’t publish generic listicles, regurgitated advice, or thinly veiled sales pitches. We publish insights that make someone think “I can implement this tomorrow” or “This explains why my current approach isn’t working.”

Article Specifications:

• Word count: 1,000+ words (1,000-1,500 is the sweet spot)
• Reading level: Grade 8 (check with Hemingway Editor)
• Format: Google Doc with commenting access enabled
• Quality: Run through Grammarly before submitting
• Originality: Must pass Copyscape (100% original, never published elsewhere)

Required Elements:

• Title: Clear and keyword-optimized (capitalize each word)
• Meta Description: 160 characters maximum, include primary keyword
• Meta Keywords: 3-5 relevant keywords (comma-separated)
• URL Slug: Concise and keyword-rich (example: shopify-retention-tactics)
• Featured Image: 1200x628px from Unsplash, Pexels, or Freepik
• YouTube Video: Relevant video when applicable (embeds help with indexing and engagement)
• Author Bio: Your background, what you do, 1-2 social links

Think of yourself as an experienced founder giving advice to another founder. You use contractions. You say “you” and “your.” You break down complex ideas with simple analogies or real-world examples.

When you’re explaining something technical, you don’t skip the explanation, but you also don’t lecture. “Think of Shopify’s checkout extensions like LEGO blocks for your checkout page” works better than a paragraph of technical jargon.

Include specific examples with real numbers when possible: “When Sarah added a post-purchase upsell offering a matching accessory for $24, her average order value jumped from $67 to $84 within three weeks.” Notice the specifics: real name, exact amount, specific result, clear timeframe.

Avoid generic advice. “Improve your email marketing” isn’t helpful. “Send a winback email 45 days after purchase with a 15% discount code that expires in 72 hours” gives someone something they can actually do.

Keyword placement:

• Primary keyword in your title
• Primary keyword in your first paragraph
• Primary keyword in at least one H2 header
• Natural distribution throughout (don’t stuff it)

Link requirements:

• 1 do-follow link to your site or your client’s site (this is what you’re paying for)
• 1+ internal links to relevant eCommerce Fastlane content (helps readers find related articles)
• 1+ external authority link to a high-quality source that’s NOT your client (adds credibility and context)

Example of good linking: You’re writing about email automation. You link to Klaviyo’s benchmark data (external authority), link to our article on segmentation strategy (internal), and naturally link to your client’s email template library (your do-follow link).

Image optimization:

• Include alt text for all images
• Keep file sizes reasonable (compressed but clear)
• Use descriptive file names before uploading

Before you submit:

1. Write your article following these guidelines
2. Run it through Grammarly (fix anything flagged)
3. Check originality with Copyscape (must be 100% unique)
4. Verify all required elements are included
5. Share your Google Doc link with commenting access enabled

What happens next: We’ll review your submission within 24 hours. We may make minor edits for clarity, SEO, formatting, or to add/adjust images. These edits help your content perform better with our audience. If we need significant revisions, we’ll comment directly in your Google Doc.

Once approved, we publish within 24 hours and send you the live link.

Payment: After publication, we’ll send a PayPal invoice to the email address you provided. For first-time contributors, we require payment before publication. For established partners or credible companies, we can invoice after publication.

By submitting content to eCommerce Fastlane, you agree to the following:

Content ownership and rights:

• You own or have full rights to all submitted content
• Content must be 100% original and unpublished elsewhere
• You grant us publishing rights and editorial discretion
• We may optimize content for SEO and reader experience
• Proper attribution will be given for all sources

Final sale:

• All sales are final once content is published
• No refunds after publication
• No post-publication edits or changes to links
• We reserve the right to remove content that violates our standards