So– you’ve been eyeing GoHighLevel, huh? Possibly you’ve seen the radiant evaluations. Heard about the all-in-one magic. Check out just how it can change your CRM, your email marketing tools, your sales funnel builder, your left kidney– kidding (sort of) GoHighLevel Community Events.
I get it. The guarantee is alluring: one effective dashboard to rule them all. And if you’re running a firm, the idea of streamlining everything under one roof sounds like a performance desire. Yet let me stop you right there … due to the fact that I succumbed to the hype. And I want a person had grabbed me by the shoulders and said: “Do not do it.”
In this article, I’m walking you with my rollercoaster of an experience with GoHighLevel– from hopeful starts to a full 180. If you’re seriously thinking about making the switch, read this very first. It’ll conserve you time, cash, and a truckload of frustrations.
Let’s Back Up: Why I Also Looked at GoHighLevel
You ever before obtain that crave something new? Like when your favored set of footwear unexpectedly feels … boring? That’s what happened to me. I would certainly been using Keap (you may remember it as Infusionsoft) for years– 5, to be precise. And honestly, it functioned great.
I suggest, Keap handled whatever: e-mail marketing, CRM, automations, funnels, invoicing. It just clicked with the means I ran my business. Certain, it wasn’t excellent, yet it was reputable. Like a great old Toyota– you’re not extoling it, yet it gets you where you need to go without breaking down.
So why did I start eyeing the fancy new Tesla parked next door?
Due to shiny item syndrome. Yep. It’s real. And if you’re a business owner like me, you know precisely what I’m speaking about. When all the Facebook teams, YouTubers, and SaaS bloggers are humming regarding a “game-changer,” you begin wondering if you’re losing out. And before I understood it, I was deep-diving right into GoHighLevel trials and reasoning, “Possibly it’s time.”
Big. Blunder.
The Price of Changing: What It Really Took
Let’s not sugarcoat this– migrating your agency’s entire technology pile is ruthless. I want I might inform you I just clicked a switch and voilà, I was operating on GoHighLevel by the weekend break. Nope.
Below’s a look of what I really went through:
- Exported over 20,000 contacts from Keap (by hand).
- Rebuilt a loads automations from scratch– things like onboarding, email series, lead nurturing.
- Relocated every customer note, project status, and funnel over.
- Set up landing pages. Once again.
- Reconnected payment integrations like Stripe.
- Spent near to 40 hours fiddling with setups and screening workflows.
And let’s not fail to remember the mental power it drew out of me. You know that exhausted, brain-fried feeling after staring at your display for also lengthy? That was my life for two weeks directly.
I told myself, “This pain will deserve it.” It wasn’t.
When Everything Began Breaking Down
In the beginning, it appeared like points were working. Automations were firing. E-mails were heading out. Funnels were online. I exhaled a little.
After that– turmoil.
One morning I got up to a headache: 171 emails had been sent to the wrong group of get in touches with. Totally unimportant web content. Three days straight. And not the same individuals either– various sets each time. I was frightened.
I tore via the automation setups, deleted and restored sequences, also reached out to support. Their feedback? “Web server problem.” Uh … what?
No resolution. No seriousness. No accountability. And the e-mails just maintained heading out like a rogue robot on auto-pilot.
At that point, I was done trusting GoHighLevel with anything crucial. My audience mattered too much to take the chance of an additional error.
Poor UX = Slow Fatality by Frustration
Let me paint you a photo. You’re trying to fine-tune a workflow. Basic task, right? Except now you’re 12 clicks deep in menus that do not make sense. Labels aren’t clear. Setups are hidden in places no person would realistically look.
Their funnel builder? Don’t also get me started. You need to accessibility three various arrangement panels– scattered across the interface– to upgrade a single funnel.
It felt like assembling IKEA furnishings without guidelines. I intended to enjoy the versatility, yet whatever regarding the user experience made me feel like I required a developer resting beside me 24/7.
And this is coming from someone who had actually been running automations and constructing funnels for years. If I was battling, I can not picture what it resembles for someone just getting going.
Shock Charges and Shady Pricing
Here’s something they do not advertise plainly: GoHighLevel fees per email you send out via their system.
Yep. In addition to your $297/month agency plan, there are sly little fees that start accumulating. I discovered arbitrary $10 fees appearing– then $20 … then $50. Ends up, I was racking up delivery charges through Mailgun, their e-mail service provider.
So what looked like a cost effective, flat-rate system? Not a lot. By the end of the month, I was spending greater than I did on Keap– and getting method much less integrity in return.
That felt deceitful. And it’s a dealbreaker for me GoHighLevel Community Events.
Email Efficiency Tanked– And That Was the Final stroke
If you do any type of sort of email marketing, you recognize how important deliverability is. You spend years nurturing your list, building trust fund, fine-tuning subject lines. So when your open rates drop off a cliff, it resembles watching your hard work get flushed down the drain.
That’s specifically what happened when I switched to GoHighLevel.
My open prices fell from around 35% to hardly scuffing 10%. I modified subject lines, confirmed domains, warmed up IPs– you call it. Still absolutely nothing.
Email after e-mail landed in spam or promotions folders. And because GoHighLevel relies on third-party deliverability tools (without much support), I was left playing email live roulette.
Then, I couldn’t justify staying. I disengaged and went back to Keap.
So, Should You Utilize GoHighLevel?
Honestly? I wouldn’t recommend it. Not if you’re searching for something steady, user-friendly, and trustworthy. There’s excessive at risk– your track record, your customer experience, your profits.
However if you’re still interested, a minimum of share your eyes wide open. Examination whatever. Do not blindly trust the buzz.
Lessons Found Out (So You Do Not Repeat My Blunders).
Below’s the truth no one informs you when you’re going after the following “all-in-one” tool:
1. Stick to what jobs– unless there’s an excellent factor to change.
Keap wasn’t flashy, yet it was solid. That’s worth greater than any new feature.
2. Simpleness defeats complexity– every time.
An intuitive device that does 80% well is better than a Frankenstein platform that does 100% terribly.
3. Do not succumb to low prices– consider the actual price.
Check out the small print. Ask about deliverability charges. Know what “endless” really suggests.
4. Keep an eye out for prejudiced testimonials.
A great deal of the glowing testimonials around? They’re from associates trying to score a compensation. Discover people with absolutely nothing to get.
5. Listen to your digestive tract.
If something really feels off throughout your free trial or onboarding stage– do not ignore it.
Better Alternatives to Consider
If you’re looking for a platform that in fact functions the means it guarantees, inspect these out:.
Keap– My leading pick. Amazing automation, solid deliverability, and fantastic assistance.
GreenRope— All-in-one CRM with wonderful job management devices for little teams.
HubSpot— Enterprise-grade devices with a sleek UX. Ideal if you’re scaling quick.
Monday— More project-focused, but wonderful for customer cooperation and task tracking.
Bonsai— Developed for freelancers and creatives. Super tidy, extremely structured.
Final Word
Look, I get it. GoHighLevel seems like the solution to whatever. And if it worked flawlessly, I ‘d probably be their largest supporter. Yet it really did not. And I can not claim otherwise.
So prior to you study a full-blown movement– or even worse, convince your clients to do the same– breathe. Ask the difficult concerns. And consider whether the “all-in-one” dream deserves the real-world trade-offs.
You’ve functioned too tough to develop something fantastic. Don’t risk it on a platform that still feels like a beta test.
If you desire my 2 cents? Stick with devices that simply work.