So– you’ve been considering GoHighLevel, huh? Possibly you’ve seen the radiant evaluations. Found out about the all-in-one magic. Review just how it can replace your CRM, your e-mail marketing devices, your sales funnel builder, your left kidney– kidding (type of) GoHighLevel Vs ConvertKit.
I get it. The guarantee is tempting: one powerful control panel to rule them all. And if you’re running a firm, the concept of improving everything under one roof sounds like an efficiency desire. But let me quit you right there … due to the fact that I succumbed to the buzz. And I wish someone had gotten me by the shoulders and said: “Don’t do it.”
In this post, I’m strolling you via my rollercoaster of an adventure with GoHighLevel– from hopeful beginnings to a full 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 frustrations.
Let’s Back Up: Why I Also Looked at GoHighLevel
You ever before get that crave something new? Like when your favorite set of shoes instantly feels … boring? That’s what took place to me. I ‘d been making use of Keap (you might remember it as Infusionsoft) for years– 5, to be precise. And honestly, it worked fantastic.
I suggest, Keap managed every little thing: e-mail marketing, CRM, automations, funnels, invoicing. It simply clicked with the way I ran my service. Sure, it had not been excellent, yet it was trustworthy. Like a good old Toyota– you’re not bragging about it, yet it gets you where you require to go without breaking down.
So why did I begin looking at the fancy brand-new Tesla parked next door?
Due to shiny item disorder. Yep. It’s genuine. And if you’re an entrepreneur like me, you know precisely what I’m talking about. When all the Facebook teams, YouTubers, and SaaS blog owners are humming concerning a “game-changer,” you start asking yourself if you’re missing out. And before I knew it, I was deep-diving right into GoHighLevel demonstrations and thinking, “Maybe it’s time.”
Big. Blunder.
The Cost of Switching: What It Truly Took
Allow’s not sugarcoat this– migrating your agency’s whole tech stack is harsh. I want I might inform you I simply clicked a button and voilà, I was running on GoHighLevel by the weekend break. Nope.
Below’s a look of what I in fact underwent:
- Exported over 20,000 calls from Keap (by hand).
- Restore a lots automations from square one– points like onboarding, e-mail sequences, lead nurturing.
- Relocated every customer note, job status, and funnel over.
- Establish landing pages. Once more.
- Reconnected settlement integrations like Stripe.
- Spent near 40 hours fiddling with setups and screening workflows.
And allow’s not forget the psychological power it drew out of me. You know that worn down, brain-fried sensation after staring at your display for as well long? That was my life for 2 weeks directly.
I informed myself, “This pain will certainly deserve it.” It wasn’t.
When It All Began Crumbling
In the beginning, it looked like things were working. Automations were shooting. Emails were heading out. Funnels were live. I exhaled a little.
Then– chaos.
One early morning I awakened to a problem: 171 emails had been sent to the incorrect team of contacts. Entirely unimportant material. 3 days in a row. And not the exact same people either– various batches each time. I was horrified.
I tore via the automation setups, removed and rebuilt series, even reached out to sustain. Their action? “Web server problem.” Uh … what?
No resolution. No seriousness. No liability. And the emails just kept going out like a rogue robot on auto-pilot.
At that point, I was done relying on GoHighLevel with anything vital. My audience mattered too much to risk one more error.
Bad UX = Slow Fatality by Disappointment
Let me repaint you a photo. You’re attempting to modify a workflow. Simple task, right? Other than now you’re 12 clicks deep in food selections that do not make sense. Labels aren’t clear. Setups are concealed in places no one would rationally look.
Their funnel builder? Don’t even obtain me started. You need to access 3 different setup panels– spread across the user interface– to upgrade a solitary funnel.
It seemed like assembling IKEA furniture without guidelines. I wanted to like the adaptability, yet everything regarding the user experience made me feel like I required a developer sitting alongside me 24/7.
And this is coming from someone who ‘d been running automations and developing funnels for several years. If I was battling, I can not picture what it resembles for somebody just getting started.
Surprise Charges and Shady Pricing
Right here’s something they do not advertise clearly: GoHighLevel costs per e-mail you send via their platform.
Yep. In addition to your $297/month agency plan, there are stealthy little fees that begin piling up. I discovered random $10 costs turning up– after that $20 … then $50. Turns out, I was acquiring shipment fees with Mailgun, their e-mail supplier.
So what looked like a budget-friendly, flat-rate system? Not a lot. By the end of the month, I was spending more than I did on Keap– and getting means less integrity in return.
That felt unethical. And it’s a dealbreaker for me GoHighLevel Vs ConvertKit.
Email Efficiency Tanked– And That Was the Last Straw
If you do any type of kind of email marketing, you recognize exactly how essential deliverability is. You invest years nurturing your listing, building depend on, fine-tuning subject lines. So when your open rates drop off a cliff, it resembles seeing your hard work obtain flushed away.
That’s specifically what happened when I switched to GoHighLevel.
My open prices fell from around 35% to hardly scratching 10%. I tweaked subject lines, verified domains, heated up IPs– you name it. Still absolutely nothing.
Email after e-mail landed in spam or promotions folders. And because GoHighLevel counts on third-party deliverability devices (without much assistance), I was left playing email live roulette.
At that point, I could not validate staying. I pulled the plug and went back to Keap.
So, Should You Use GoHighLevel?
Truthfully? I would not suggest it. Not if you’re trying to find something secure, user-friendly, and trustworthy. There’s excessive at stake– your track record, your customer experience, your bottom line.
However if you’re still interested, at least go in with your eyes wide open. Test every little thing. Don’t thoughtlessly trust the buzz.
Lessons Discovered (So You Do Not Repeat My Errors).
Below’s the truth nobody tells you when you’re going after the following “all-in-one” device:
1. Stick with what works– unless there’s an excellent reason to switch over.
Keap wasn’t fancy, but it was solid. That deserves greater than any kind of brand-new feature.
2. Simplicity defeats complexity– whenever.
An user-friendly device that does 80% well is much better than a Monster platform that does 100% terribly.
3. Do not fall for low prices– look at the actual expense.
Read the small print. Ask about deliverability charges. Know what “unlimited” really indicates.
4. Keep an eye out for biased testimonials.
A great deal of the beautiful endorsements out there? They’re from affiliates trying to score a payment. Find individuals with absolutely nothing to get.
5. Pay attention to your gut.
If something feels off throughout your free trial or onboarding stage– don’t ignore it.
Much Better Alternatives to Consider
If you’re searching for a system that really functions the means it promises, check these out:.
Keap– My top choice. Remarkable automation, strong deliverability, and wonderful assistance.
GreenRope— All-in-one CRM with excellent project monitoring tools for small groups.
HubSpot— Enterprise-grade devices with a sleek UX. Perfect if you’re scaling quick.
Monday— Even more project-focused, yet terrific for customer cooperation and job tracking.
Bonsai— Constructed for freelancers and creatives. Super clean, incredibly streamlined.
Final Word
Look, I get it. GoHighLevel sounds like the answer to whatever. And if it worked flawlessly, I ‘d possibly be their biggest supporter. Yet it didn’t. And I can not act otherwise.
So before you study a major movement– or worse, persuade your customers to do the very same– take a breath. Ask the hard inquiries. And think about whether the “all-in-one” desire is worth the real-world compromises.
You’ve worked also hard to develop something fantastic. Don’t risk it on a system that still feels like a beta test.
If you want my two cents? Stick with tools that simply work.