So– you’ve been eyeing GoHighLevel, huh? Perhaps you’ve seen the radiant testimonials. Heard about the all-in-one magic. Review how it might replace your CRM, your email marketing tools, your sales funnel builder, your left kidney– joking (type of) GoHighLevel Local Business Playbook.
I get it. The promise is tempting: one powerful dashboard to rule them all. And if you’re running a firm, the idea of enhancing whatever under one roofing sounds like an efficiency desire. Yet let me stop you right there … due to the fact that I succumbed to the hype. And I desire someone had gotten me by the shoulders and claimed: “Don’t do it.”
In this article, I’m walking you through my rollercoaster of a ride with GoHighLevel– from hopeful starts to a complete 180. If you’re seriously taking into consideration making the switch, read this very first. It’ll conserve you time, cash, and a truckload of migraines.
Let’s Back Up: Why I Even Took A Look At GoHighLevel
You ever obtain that crave something brand-new? Like when your favored set of shoes instantly feels … boring? That’s what took place to me. I ‘d been using Keap (you might remember it as Infusionsoft) for many years– five, to be specific. And honestly, it functioned fantastic.
I indicate, Keap handled everything: email marketing, CRM, automations, funnels, invoicing. It simply clicked with the way I ran my company. Sure, it had not been best, however it was reliable. Like a great old Toyota– you’re not bragging about it, but it obtains you where you require to do without breaking down.
So why did I start considering the flashy brand-new Tesla parked next door?
Due to shiny item disorder. Yep. It’s real. And if you’re a business owner like me, you understand precisely what I’m speaking about. When all the Facebook teams, YouTubers, and SaaS blog owners are humming regarding a “game-changer,” you begin asking yourself if you’re losing out. And before I recognized it, I was deep-diving right into GoHighLevel trials and reasoning, “Perhaps it’s time.”
Big. Blunder.
The Cost of Switching: What It Actually Took
Let’s not sugarcoat this– moving your agency’s whole tech pile is brutal. I wish I can tell you I simply clicked a switch and voilà, I was working on GoHighLevel by the weekend break. Nope.
Right here’s a look of what I really underwent:
- Exported over 20,000 contacts from Keap (manually).
- Restore a dozen automations from the ground up– points like onboarding, e-mail series, lead nurturing.
- Relocated every customer note, job status, and funnel over.
- Establish landing pages. Again.
- Reconnected payment integrations like Stripe.
- Used near to 40 hours fiddling with setups and testing workflows.
And allow’s not fail to remember the mental energy it drew out of me. You understand that tired, brain-fried sensation after staring at your screen for also long? That was my life for 2 weeks right.
I told myself, “This pain will certainly deserve it.” It had not been.
When It All Began Falling Apart
At first, it resembled things were working. Automations were shooting. Emails were heading out. Funnels were live. I exhaled a little.
Then– turmoil.
One early morning I woke up to a nightmare: 171 e-mails had actually been sent to the incorrect group of get in touches with. Entirely pointless web content. 3 days in a row. And not the exact same people either– different sets each time. I was horrified.
I tore with the automation setups, removed and reconstructed sequences, also connected to sustain. Their action? “Server issue.” Uh … what?
No resolution. No seriousness. No liability. And the emails simply kept going out like a rogue robot on auto-pilot.
Then, I was done relying on GoHighLevel with anything essential. My target market mattered too much to take the chance of an additional screw-up.
Bad UX = Slow Fatality by Stress
Let me paint you an image. You’re trying to tweak a workflow. Easy job, right? Other than currently you’re 12 clicks deep in food selections that do not make sense. Tags aren’t clear. Setups are hidden in position nobody would realistically look.
Their funnel builder? Don’t also obtain me started. You have to access 3 various arrangement panels– spread throughout the user interface– to upgrade a solitary funnel.
It felt like setting up IKEA furniture without instructions. I wanted to love the versatility, however every little thing regarding the user experience made me feel like I needed a programmer sitting next to me 24/7.
And this is originating from somebody who had actually been running automations and developing funnels for years. If I was battling, I can’t visualize what it’s like for somebody simply beginning.
Shock Charges and Shady Pricing
Below’s something they do not market plainly: GoHighLevel fees per e-mail you send out via their platform.
Yep. In addition to your $297/month agency plan, there are tricky little costs that start piling up. I saw arbitrary $10 fees turning up– after that $20 … then $50. Turns out, I was racking up distribution costs through Mailgun, their email supplier.
So what resembled an inexpensive, flat-rate platform? Not a lot. By the end of the month, I was investing greater than I did on Keap– and getting way much less integrity in return.
That really felt deceitful. And it’s a dealbreaker for me GoHighLevel Local Business Playbook.
Email Performance Tanked– Which Was the Last Straw
If you do any sort of email marketing, you understand exactly how important deliverability is. You spend years nurturing your checklist, constructing count on, fine-tuning subject lines. So when your open prices leave a high cliff, it’s like viewing your hard work get flushed down the tubes.
That’s precisely what happened when I changed to GoHighLevel.
My open rates dropped from around 35% to barely scuffing 10%. I modified subject lines, confirmed domain names, warmed up IPs– you name it. Still nothing.
Email after e-mail landed in spam or promos folders. And given that GoHighLevel relies upon third-party deliverability tools (without much guidance), I was left playing e-mail live roulette.
At that point, I could not validate staying. I ended and went back to Keap.
So, Should You Use GoHighLevel?
Truthfully? I would not recommend it. Not if you’re seeking something secure, intuitive, and trustworthy. There’s too much at stake– your online reputation, your consumer experience, your bottom line.
But if you’re still interested, a minimum of share your eyes wide open. Test whatever. Do not thoughtlessly trust the hype.
Lessons Discovered (So You Don’t Repeat My Mistakes).
Right here’s the truth no one informs you when you’re chasing after the next “all-in-one” tool:
1. Stick with what jobs– unless there’s an excellent factor to switch.
Keap had not been showy, yet it was solid. That deserves more than any kind of new feature.
2. Simpleness beats intricacy– each time.
An user-friendly device that does 80% well is far better than a Monster platform that does 100% badly.
3. Don’t fall for affordable price– take a look at the real expense.
Check out the small print. Ask about deliverability fees. Know what “limitless” actually indicates.
4. Look out for prejudiced evaluations.
A lot of the beautiful testimonies around? They’re from affiliates trying to score a compensation. Find individuals with nothing to get.
5. Pay attention to your digestive tract.
If something feels off during your free trial or onboarding phase– don’t ignore it.
Better Alternatives to Take Into Consideration
If you’re trying to find a platform that in fact functions the way it promises, examine these out:.
Keap– My top pick. Amazing automation, strong deliverability, and fantastic assistance.
GreenRope— All-in-one CRM with excellent job monitoring tools for tiny groups.
HubSpot— Enterprise-grade tools with a refined UX. Perfect if you’re scaling fast.
Monday— Even more project-focused, however fantastic for client partnership and task monitoring.
Bonsai— Built for freelancers and creatives. Super clean, extremely structured.
Final Word
Look, I get it. GoHighLevel sounds like the response to whatever. And if it worked perfectly, I ‘d possibly be their most significant supporter. But it didn’t. And I can not pretend otherwise.
So before you study a major migration– or worse, convince your clients to do the exact same– breathe. Ask the difficult inquiries. And think about whether the “all-in-one” desire deserves the real-world trade-offs.
You have actually functioned also hard to construct something fantastic. Don’t risk it on a system that still seems like a beta test.
If you desire my 2 cents? Stick with devices that just function.