So– you’ve been considering GoHighLevel, huh? Possibly you have actually seen the radiant reviews. Found out about the all-in-one magic. Review exactly how it might replace your CRM, your e-mail marketing tools, your sales funnel builder, your left kidney– kidding (kind of) GoHighLevel Premium Support.
I get it. The guarantee is appealing: one powerful dashboard to rule them all. And if you’re running an agency, the concept of enhancing everything under one roofing system seems like a productivity desire. However let me quit you right there … since I fell for the hype. And I want someone had ordered me by the shoulders and stated: “Don’t do it.”
In this post, I’m strolling you with my rollercoaster of an adventure with GoHighLevel– from confident starts to a total 180. If you’re seriously considering making the switch, read this very first. It’ll save you time, cash, and a truckload of frustrations.
Let’s Back Up: Why I Also Looked at GoHighLevel
You ever before get that crave something new? Like when your favored set of footwear suddenly feels … boring? That’s what happened to me. I ‘d been making use of Keap (you might remember it as Infusionsoft) for many years– 5, to be precise. And honestly, it functioned wonderful.
I indicate, Keap managed whatever: e-mail marketing, CRM, automations, funnels, invoicing. It just clicked with the way I ran my business. Certain, it had not been perfect, but it was reliable. Like a good old Toyota– you’re not extoling it, but it obtains you where you need to go without breaking down.
So why did I begin looking at the showy brand-new Tesla parked next door?
Because of shiny things syndrome. Yep. It’s genuine. And if you’re an entrepreneur like me, you understand precisely what I’m discussing. When all the Facebook groups, YouTubers, and SaaS bloggers are humming about a “game-changer,” you start questioning if you’re losing out. And before I understood it, I was deep-diving into GoHighLevel demonstrations and thinking, “Maybe it’s time.”
Big. Blunder.
The Price of Switching: What It Truly Took
Let’s not sugarcoat this– moving your agency’s entire tech pile is ruthless. I want I can tell you I just clicked a button and voilà, I was operating on GoHighLevel by the weekend break. Nope.
Below’s a glimpse of what I actually went through:
- Exported over 20,000 get in touches with from Keap (manually).
- Reconstruct a loads automations from scratch– things like onboarding, e-mail sequences, lead nurturing.
- Moved every customer note, task status, and funnel over.
- Establish landing pages. Once more.
- Reconnected repayment integrations like Stripe.
- Spent near 40 hours adjusting settings and testing workflows.
And let’s not fail to remember the mental power it sucked out of me. You know that exhausted, brain-fried sensation after staring at your display for too lengthy? That was my life for 2 weeks right.
I informed myself, “This discomfort will certainly deserve it.” It wasn’t.
When It All Began Crumbling
At first, it resembled points were functioning. Automations were shooting. Emails were heading out. Funnels were real-time. I breathed out a little.
Then– chaos.
One morning I woke up to a problem: 171 e-mails had actually been sent out to the wrong team of get in touches with. Completely irrelevant content. 3 days in a row. And not the very same people either– different sets each time. I was alarmed.
I tore with the automation settings, erased and reconstructed series, also connected to sustain. Their action? “Server problem.” Uh … what?
No resolution. No seriousness. No liability. And the e-mails just kept going out like a rogue robotic on auto-pilot.
Then, I was done relying on GoHighLevel with anything essential. My audience mattered excessive to risk an additional screw-up.
Poor UX = Slow Fatality by Frustration
Let me paint you a photo. You’re attempting to tweak a workflow. Basic job, right? Except now you’re 12 clicks deep in menus that don’t make good sense. Tags aren’t clear. Settings are concealed in position nobody would realistically look.
Their funnel builder? Don’t also obtain me began. You need to access 3 different configuration panels– spread throughout the interface– to update a single funnel.
It felt like putting together IKEA furniture without directions. I intended to love the flexibility, however everything concerning the customer experience made me seem like I needed a designer sitting alongside me 24/7.
And this is originating from a person who had actually been running automations and constructing funnels for years. If I was battling, I can not picture what it resembles for a person simply getting started.
Shock Charges and Shady Pricing
Right here’s something they do not promote clearly: GoHighLevel costs per e-mail you send out via their platform.
Yep. On top of your $297/month agency plan, there are stealthy little fees that begin accumulating. I observed random $10 charges turning up– then $20 … then $50. Turns out, I was acquiring shipment fees through Mailgun, their email company.
So what appeared like an affordable, flat-rate system? Not so much. By the end of the month, I was investing greater than I did on Keap– and getting means less reliability in return.
That really felt deceitful. And it’s a dealbreaker for me GoHighLevel Premium Support.
Email Efficiency Tanked– Which Was the Final stroke
If you do any sort of e-mail marketing, you understand just how important deliverability is. You spend years nurturing your list, building trust, make improvements subject lines. So when your open rates leave a high cliff, it’s like viewing your effort obtain flushed down the drain.
That’s precisely what took place when I changed to GoHighLevel.
My open rates dropped from around 35% to hardly scraping 10%. I fine-tuned subject lines, verified domain names, warmed up IPs– you call it. Still absolutely nothing.
Email after e-mail landed in spam or promos folders. And because GoHighLevel relies upon third-party deliverability tools (without much advice), I was left playing email roulette.
At that point, I could not warrant staying. I pulled the plug and went back to Keap.
So, Should You Utilize GoHighLevel?
Honestly? I would not advise it. Not if you’re seeking something steady, user-friendly, and trustworthy. There’s way too much at risk– your credibility, your customer experience, your bottom line.
However if you’re still curious, at least share your eyes wide open. Test every little thing. Do not blindly rely on the hype.
Lessons Found Out (So You Don’t Repeat My Errors).
Here’s the fact no person informs you when you’re chasing after the following “all-in-one” tool:
1. Stick to what works– unless there’s a very good reason to switch.
Keap wasn’t flashy, however it was solid. That deserves more than any new feature.
2. Simpleness beats complexity– every time.
An user-friendly device that does 80% well is much better than a Frankenstein system that does 100% terribly.
3. Do not succumb to low cost– consider the real expense.
Check out the small print. Ask about deliverability fees. Know what “unrestricted” truly indicates.
4. Watch out for biased reviews.
A lot of the glowing testimonies around? They’re from associates attempting to rack up a compensation. Locate people with absolutely nothing to get.
5. Pay attention to your digestive tract.
If something really feels off throughout your free trial or onboarding phase– do not ignore it.
Much Better Alternatives to Think About
If you’re looking for a platform that actually works the means it guarantees, inspect these out:.
Keap– My leading choice. Amazing automation, solid deliverability, and wonderful assistance.
GreenRope— All-in-one CRM with wonderful project administration devices for little groups.
HubSpot— Enterprise-grade tools with a polished UX. Ideal if you’re scaling quickly.
Monday— More project-focused, but terrific for client collaboration and task monitoring.
Bonsai— Built for freelancers and creatives. Super tidy, incredibly structured.
Final Word
Look, I get it. GoHighLevel seems like the answer to everything. And if it worked flawlessly, I ‘d probably be their greatest supporter. Yet it really did not. And I can’t act or else.
So before you study a major movement– or worse, convince your clients to do the very same– take a breath. Ask the hard concerns. And consider whether the “all-in-one” desire is worth the real-world trade-offs.
You’ve worked also hard to construct something terrific. Don’t risk it on a system that still seems like a beta test.
If you desire my 2 cents? Stick to tools that just work.