So– you’ve been considering GoHighLevel, huh? Maybe you’ve seen the glowing reviews. Become aware of the all-in-one magic. Review exactly how it might change your CRM, your e-mail marketing devices, your sales funnel builder, your left kidney– joking (kind of) GoHighLevel Restaurant Snapshot.
I get it. The pledge is appealing: one powerful dashboard to rule them all. And if you’re running a firm, the concept of streamlining every little thing under one roofing sounds like an efficiency desire. However let me stop you right there … due to the fact that I succumbed to the buzz. And I wish someone had actually ordered me by the shoulders and claimed: “Don’t do it.”
In this short article, I’m walking you with my rollercoaster of an experience with GoHighLevel– from confident starts to a full 180. If you’re seriously taking into consideration making the button, read this very first. It’ll save you time, money, and a truckload of frustrations.
Let’s Back Up: Why I Even Checked Out GoHighLevel
You ever get that crave something brand-new? Like when your favored set of shoes unexpectedly feels … boring? That’s what took place to me. I ‘d been making use of Keap (you could remember it as Infusionsoft) for many years– five, to be precise. And honestly, it worked great.
I imply, Keap dealt with whatever: email marketing, CRM, automations, funnels, invoicing. It simply clicked with the means I ran my company. Sure, it had not been excellent, but it was reliable. Like a good old Toyota– you’re not extoling it, however it obtains you where you require to do without breaking down.
So why did I begin considering the fancy new Tesla parked next door?
As a result of shiny things disorder. Yep. It’s genuine. And if you’re an entrepreneur like me, you know exactly what I’m discussing. When all the Facebook groups, YouTubers, and SaaS bloggers are humming regarding a “game-changer,” you start asking yourself if you’re missing out. And before I knew it, I was deep-diving into GoHighLevel demos and thinking, “Perhaps it’s time.”
Big. Error.
The Cost of Changing: What It Really Took
Allow’s not sugarcoat this– moving your firm’s whole tech stack is brutal. I desire I might tell you I simply clicked a button and voilà, I was operating on GoHighLevel by the weekend break. Nope.
Below’s a glimpse of what I in fact underwent:
- Exported over 20,000 contacts from Keap (manually).
- Rebuilt a lots automations from scratch– points like onboarding, e-mail sequences, lead nurturing.
- Moved every client note, job condition, 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 allow’s not fail to remember the psychological energy it sucked out of me. You recognize that worn down, brain-fried feeling after looking at your display for as well long? That was my life for two weeks straight.
I told myself, “This discomfort will be worth it.” It wasn’t.
When It All Began Crumbling
At first, it looked like points were working. Automations were shooting. Emails were going out. Funnels were real-time. I breathed out a little.
Then– mayhem.
One morning I got up to a problem: 171 e-mails had been sent to the incorrect group of calls. Totally irrelevant material. 3 days straight. And not the same people either– various batches each time. I was horrified.
I tore via the automation settings, erased and rebuilt sequences, even connected to support. Their feedback? “Web server issue.” Uh … what?
No resolution. No urgency. No accountability. And the emails just kept heading out like a rogue robot on autopilot.
At that point, I was done trusting GoHighLevel with anything essential. My audience mattered too much to take the chance of another screw-up.
Poor UX = Slow Fatality by Frustration
Let me paint you an image. You’re trying to tweak a workflow. Basic task, right? Other than currently you’re 12 clicks deep in food selections that do not make good sense. Labels aren’t clear. Settings are concealed in position nobody would logically look.
Their funnel builder? Do not also get me started. You need to accessibility 3 various arrangement panels– scattered throughout the user interface– to upgrade a single funnel.
It felt like assembling IKEA furnishings without directions. I wanted to love the adaptability, however every little thing regarding the individual experience made me feel like I needed a designer resting beside me 24/7.
And this is coming from a person who had actually been running automations and constructing funnels for years. If I was having a hard time, I can’t envision what it resembles for someone simply starting.
Surprise Charges and Shady Pricing
Here’s something they don’t market plainly: GoHighLevel fees per e-mail you send through their system.
Yep. On top of your $297/month agency plan, there are sneaky little fees that begin accumulating. I saw arbitrary $10 costs turning up– after that $20 … then $50. Ends up, I was acquiring shipment fees through Mailgun, their email provider.
So what appeared like a budget-friendly, flat-rate system? Not so much. By the end of the month, I was investing more than I did on Keap– and obtaining way much less reliability in return.
That felt deceitful. And it’s a dealbreaker for me GoHighLevel Restaurant Snapshot.
Email Performance Tanked– And That Was the Final stroke
If you do any kind of type of email marketing, you understand exactly how essential deliverability is. You spend years nurturing your list, developing count on, adjust subject lines. So when your open rates drop off a high cliff, it’s like enjoying your hard work get purged away.
That’s exactly what occurred when I switched to GoHighLevel.
My open prices dropped from around 35% to hardly scratching 10%. I fine-tuned subject lines, verified domains, heated up IPs– you call it. Still nothing.
Email after e-mail landed in spam or promotions folders. And considering that GoHighLevel depends on third-party deliverability devices (without much guidance), I was left playing e-mail live roulette.
At that point, I could not justify staying. I ended and returned to Keap.
So, Should You Make use of GoHighLevel?
Honestly? I wouldn’t advise it. Not if you’re seeking something stable, user-friendly, and trustworthy. There’s too much at stake– your track record, your client experience, your bottom line.
Yet if you’re still interested, at the very least share your eyes wide open. Test every little thing. Do not blindly trust the buzz.
Lessons Discovered (So You Do Not Repeat My Errors).
Right here’s the fact no person informs you when you’re chasing the next “all-in-one” device:
1. Stick with what works– unless there’s an excellent reason to change.
Keap wasn’t showy, but it was strong. That’s worth more than any kind of brand-new feature.
2. Simplicity beats complexity– whenever.
An user-friendly device that does 80% well is much better than a Frankenstein system that does 100% severely.
3. Do not succumb to low cost– take a look at the real price.
Read the fine print. Ask about deliverability fees. Know what “endless” actually indicates.
4. Look out for biased reviews.
A great deal of the radiant endorsements out there? They’re from associates trying to score a commission. Find people with nothing to gain.
5. Pay attention to your gut.
If something really feels off during your free trial or onboarding phase– don’t ignore it.
Better Alternatives to Consider
If you’re looking for a system that actually works the way it promises, check these out:.
Keap– My leading choice. Amazing automation, solid deliverability, and terrific support.
GreenRope— All-in-one CRM with wonderful job management devices for tiny groups.
HubSpot— Enterprise-grade tools with a sleek UX. Perfect if you’re scaling quick.
Monday— More project-focused, but terrific for client cooperation and job monitoring.
Bonsai— Developed for freelancers and creatives. Super tidy, very structured.
Final Word
Look, I get it. GoHighLevel sounds like the response to everything. And if it functioned flawlessly, I ‘d most likely be their most significant supporter. However it didn’t. And I can’t make believe otherwise.
So before you study a full-scale migration– or worse, persuade your customers to do the very same– breathe. Ask the difficult concerns. And consider whether the “all-in-one” dream deserves the real-world compromises.
You have actually functioned as well difficult to develop something terrific. Don’t risk it on a platform that still feels like a beta test.
If you desire my two cents? Stick to tools that just function.