So– you’ve been eyeing GoHighLevel, huh? Perhaps you’ve seen the radiant testimonials. Heard about the all-in-one magic. Check out how it could change your CRM, your email marketing tools, your sales funnel builder, your left kidney– joking (kind of) GoHighLevel Chat Support.
I get it. The pledge is alluring: one effective control panel to rule them all. And if you’re running a company, the concept of simplifying every little thing under one roofing system sounds like a productivity dream. However let me stop you right there … since I succumbed to the buzz. And I desire somebody had actually gotten me by the shoulders and claimed: “Do not do it.”
In this short article, I’m strolling you with my rollercoaster of an experience with GoHighLevel– from hopeful beginnings to a full 180. If you’re seriously taking into consideration making the button, read this very first. It’ll conserve you time, money, and a truckload of frustrations.
Let’s Back Up: Why I Also Looked at GoHighLevel
You ever before get that itch for something new? Like when your preferred set of shoes all of a sudden feels … boring? That’s what happened to me. I ‘d been utilizing Keap (you could remember it as Infusionsoft) for several years– five, to be specific. And honestly, it worked wonderful.
I indicate, Keap dealt with whatever: e-mail marketing, CRM, automations, funnels, invoicing. It simply clicked with the method I ran my service. Sure, it wasn’t excellent, yet it was dependable. Like a good old Toyota– you’re not extoling it, yet it gets you where you need to do without breaking down.
So why did I start looking at the showy brand-new Tesla parked next door?
Due to glossy item disorder. Yep. It’s genuine. And if you’re a business owner like me, you recognize exactly what I’m speaking about. When all the Facebook teams, YouTubers, and SaaS blog owners are humming about a “game-changer,” you begin questioning if you’re losing out. And before I recognized it, I was deep-diving into GoHighLevel demos and thinking, “Perhaps it’s time.”
Big. Mistake.
The Cost of Switching: What It Really Took
Let’s not sugarcoat this– moving your firm’s whole tech stack is brutal. I desire I might tell you I just clicked a switch and voilà, I was operating on GoHighLevel by the weekend. Nope.
Below’s a look of what I actually underwent:
- Exported over 20,000 calls from Keap (manually).
- Reconstruct a dozen automations from square one– points like onboarding, e-mail series, lead nurturing.
- Moved every client note, task status, and funnel over.
- Establish landing pages. Again.
- Reconnected repayment integrations like Stripe.
- Spent near to 40 hours fiddling with settings and testing workflows.
And let’s not forget the mental power it drew out of me. You know that tired, brain-fried feeling after staring at your display for too long? That was my life for two weeks directly.
I informed myself, “This discomfort will certainly deserve it.” It had not been.
When All Of It Started Falling Apart
At first, it appeared like things were working. Automations were firing. Emails were going out. Funnels were real-time. I breathed out a little.
Then– disorder.
One early morning I awakened to a headache: 171 e-mails had actually been sent out to the incorrect group of get in touches with. Totally unimportant material. 3 days straight. And not the exact same people either– different batches each time. I was horrified.
I tore with the automation settings, deleted and restored series, even reached out to support. Their action? “Web server problem.” Uh … what?
No resolution. No necessity. No liability. And the e-mails simply kept going out like a rogue robot on autopilot.
Then, I was done trusting GoHighLevel with anything essential. My audience mattered way too much to risk an additional error.
Poor UX = Slow Death by Aggravation
Let me paint you an image. You’re trying to modify a workflow. Easy job, right? Other than now you’re 12 clicks deep in food selections that do not make good sense. Labels aren’t clear. Setups are concealed in places no one would rationally look.
Their funnel builder? Don’t also obtain me started. You need to accessibility three different configuration panels– spread across the interface– to update a single funnel.
It seemed like setting up IKEA furniture without directions. I intended to enjoy the flexibility, however every little thing about the user experience made me feel like I needed a developer resting beside me 24/7.
And this is coming from a person who had actually been running automations and developing funnels for years. If I was having a hard time, I can’t visualize what it resembles for somebody simply getting going.
Shock Charges and Shady Pricing
Below’s something they do not promote plainly: GoHighLevel fees per e-mail you send with their system.
Yep. In addition to your $297/month agency plan, there are sly little costs that begin accumulating. I noticed random $10 fees appearing– after that $20 … then $50. Ends up, I was racking up shipment fees with Mailgun, their email carrier.
So what looked like a budget friendly, flat-rate platform? Not so much. By the end of the month, I was investing greater than I did on Keap– and getting method less reliability in return.
That felt unethical. And it’s a dealbreaker for me GoHighLevel Chat Support.
Email Efficiency Tanked– And That Was the Final stroke
If you do any kind of sort of email marketing, you know just how important deliverability is. You spend years supporting your checklist, constructing trust, make improvements subject lines. So when your open prices hand over a high cliff, it resembles seeing your effort obtain flushed down the drain.
That’s precisely what happened when I switched over to GoHighLevel.
My open rates dropped from around 35% to hardly scuffing 10%. I tweaked subject lines, confirmed domains, heated up IPs– you name it. Still nothing.
Email after e-mail landed in spam or promotions folders. And since GoHighLevel counts on third-party deliverability tools (without much advice), I was left playing e-mail live roulette.
At that point, I couldn’t warrant staying. I disengaged and returned to Keap.
So, Should You Use GoHighLevel?
Honestly? I wouldn’t suggest it. Not if you’re searching for something stable, intuitive, and trustworthy. There’s way too much at stake– your track record, your client experience, your profits.
Yet if you’re still curious, at the very least share your eyes wide open. Test whatever. Don’t thoughtlessly trust the hype.
Lessons Discovered (So You Don’t Repeat My Errors).
Right here’s the fact no one informs you when you’re chasing after the following “all-in-one” device:
1. Stick with what jobs– unless there’s an excellent factor to change.
Keap wasn’t fancy, yet it was solid. That deserves more than any brand-new feature.
2. Simplicity beats intricacy– whenever.
An instinctive device that does 80% well is far better than a Frankenstein system that does 100% badly.
3. Do not fall for affordable price– take a look at the genuine cost.
Check out the fine print. Inquire about deliverability costs. Know what “unrestricted” truly suggests.
4. Keep an eye out for prejudiced reviews.
A great deal of the glowing testimonies around? They’re from affiliates trying to score a compensation. Discover people with absolutely nothing to gain.
5. Pay attention to your gut.
If something really feels off during your free trial or onboarding stage– don’t ignore it.
Better Alternatives to Take Into Consideration
If you’re trying to find a system that in fact works the method it guarantees, examine these out:.
Keap– My top pick. Impressive automation, solid deliverability, and fantastic support.
GreenRope— All-in-one CRM with fantastic task monitoring tools for tiny groups.
HubSpot— Enterprise-grade tools with a sleek UX. Perfect if you’re scaling quickly.
Monday— Even more project-focused, but wonderful for customer cooperation and job monitoring.
Bonsai— Developed for freelancers and creatives. Super clean, super structured.
Final Word
Look, I get it. GoHighLevel sounds like the solution to whatever. And if it functioned perfectly, I ‘d probably be their biggest cheerleader. Yet it really did not. And I can’t act or else.
So before you dive into a full-scale movement– or even worse, persuade your customers to do the exact same– breathe. Ask the difficult questions. And take into consideration whether the “all-in-one” dream is worth the real-world compromises.
You have actually worked as well tough to build something terrific. Do not risk it on a system that still feels like a beta test.
If you want my two cents? Stick with devices that just work.