So– you’ve been considering GoHighLevel, huh? Maybe you have actually seen the beautiful evaluations. Heard about the all-in-one magic. Review how it might replace your CRM, your email marketing devices, your sales funnel builder, your left kidney– joking (kind of) GoHighLevel Welcome Course.
I get it. The assurance is alluring: one powerful dashboard to rule them all. And if you’re running a company, the concept of enhancing whatever under one roofing sounds like a performance desire. However let me stop you right there … because I succumbed to the buzz. And I wish someone had actually ordered me by the shoulders and stated: “Don’t do it.”
In this article, I’m strolling you via my rollercoaster of an adventure with GoHighLevel– from confident beginnings to a total 180. If you’re seriously taking into consideration making the button, read this first. It’ll conserve you time, money, and a truckload of migraines.
Let’s Back Up: Why I Even Took A Look At GoHighLevel
You ever before get that itch for something new? Like when your preferred pair of footwear suddenly really feels … boring? That’s what happened to me. I would certainly been making use of Keap (you might remember it as Infusionsoft) for many years– 5, to be precise. And truthfully, it functioned fantastic.
I suggest, Keap handled whatever: email marketing, CRM, automations, funnels, invoicing. It simply clicked with the means I ran my business. Certain, it had not been ideal, but it was reliable. Like a good old Toyota– you’re not extoling it, however it gets you where you require to do without breaking down.
So why did I begin looking at 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 understand exactly what I’m talking about. When all the Facebook teams, YouTubers, and SaaS blog writers are buzzing about a “game-changer,” you start asking yourself if you’re missing out. And before I recognized it, I was deep-diving right into GoHighLevel trials and reasoning, “Maybe it’s time.”
Big. Blunder.
The Price of Changing: What It Actually Took
Let’s not sugarcoat this– moving your company’s whole tech pile is harsh. I wish I might inform you I just clicked a switch and voilà, I was running on GoHighLevel by the weekend. Nope.
Right here’s a glimpse of what I actually experienced:
- Exported over 20,000 calls from Keap (by hand).
- Restore a lots automations from scratch– things like onboarding, e-mail sequences, lead nurturing.
- Moved every customer note, project status, and funnel over.
- Set up landing pages. Once again.
- Reconnected settlement integrations like Stripe.
- Used close to 40 hours adjusting setups and testing workflows.
And allow’s not neglect the psychological power it drew out of me. You recognize that tired, brain-fried feeling after staring at your display for too lengthy? That was my life for 2 weeks right.
I informed myself, “This pain will be worth it.” It had not been.
When It All Started Falling Apart
At first, it resembled things were functioning. Automations were shooting. E-mails were heading out. Funnels were real-time. I breathed out a little.
Then– mayhem.
One morning I got up to a headache: 171 e-mails had been sent to the wrong group of contacts. Completely unimportant content. 3 days in a row. And not the same individuals either– various batches each time. I was frightened.
I tore via the automation setups, erased and restored sequences, even connected to support. Their reaction? “Web server issue.” Uh … what?
No resolution. No necessity. No liability. And the e-mails 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 error.
Negative UX = Slow Fatality by Irritation
Let me paint you a photo. You’re attempting to modify a workflow. Simple job, right? Except currently you’re 12 clicks deep in food selections that don’t make sense. Tags aren’t clear. Settings are concealed in position no one would logically look.
Their funnel builder? Do not even get me began. You need to access three different configuration panels– scattered across the user interface– to upgrade a solitary funnel.
It seemed like setting up IKEA furniture without instructions. I wished to enjoy the versatility, but everything concerning the individual experience made me feel like I required a developer sitting beside me 24/7.
And this is coming from somebody who ‘d been running automations and building funnels for many years. If I was struggling, I can not envision what it resembles for somebody just beginning.
Surprise Charges and Shady Pricing
Here’s something they don’t promote clearly: GoHighLevel charges per email you send out via their platform.
Yep. On top of your $297/month agency plan, there are sly little charges that start piling up. I saw arbitrary $10 costs appearing– then $20 … then $50. Turns out, I was acquiring distribution fees with Mailgun, their e-mail company.
So what resembled a cost effective, flat-rate platform? Not so much. By the end of the month, I was spending more than I did on Keap– and getting method less reliability in return.
That felt deceitful. And it’s a dealbreaker for me GoHighLevel Welcome Course.
Email Performance Tanked– Which Was the Last Straw
If you do any kind of type of email marketing, you understand exactly how important deliverability is. You invest years nurturing your checklist, constructing trust, tweak subject lines. So when your open prices hand over a cliff, it’s like seeing your effort obtain purged away.
That’s exactly what took place when I changed to GoHighLevel.
My open prices fell from around 35% to hardly scuffing 10%. I fine-tuned subject lines, validated domains, heated up IPs– you name it. Still nothing.
Email after e-mail landed in spam or promos folders. And since GoHighLevel relies on third-party deliverability tools (without much assistance), I was left playing email roulette.
Then, I could not validate staying. I ended and returned to Keap.
So, Should You Use GoHighLevel?
Honestly? I wouldn’t recommend it. Not if you’re searching for something steady, user-friendly, and trustworthy. There’s way too much at stake– your track record, your customer experience, your bottom line.
Yet if you’re still curious, a minimum of go in with your eyes wide open. Examination everything. Don’t blindly rely on the hype.
Lessons Learned (So You Do Not Repeat My Mistakes).
Here’s the reality no one informs you when you’re going after the next “all-in-one” tool:
1. Stick with what jobs– unless there’s a very good reason to switch over.
Keap had not been flashy, yet it was solid. That deserves more than any new feature.
2. Simpleness beats complexity– every single time.
An user-friendly device that does 80% well is much better than a Frankenstein platform that does 100% severely.
3. Don’t succumb to low cost– take a look at the genuine price.
Review the small print. Inquire about deliverability costs. Know what “endless” really implies.
4. Look out for biased reviews.
A lot of the beautiful testimonies around? They’re from associates attempting to rack up a compensation. Locate people with absolutely nothing to get.
5. Listen to your digestive tract.
If something really feels off during your free trial or onboarding phase– don’t ignore it.
Much Better Alternatives to Take Into Consideration
If you’re searching for a system that actually functions the way it guarantees, check these out:.
Keap– My top choice. Remarkable automation, solid deliverability, and great support.
GreenRope— All-in-one CRM with fantastic task monitoring devices for tiny groups.
HubSpot— Enterprise-grade devices with a sleek UX. Ideal if you’re scaling quickly.
Monday— More project-focused, yet terrific for customer cooperation and job tracking.
Bonsai— Constructed for consultants and creatives. Super clean, extremely structured.
Final Word
Look, I get it. GoHighLevel sounds like the answer to everything. And if it functioned flawlessly, I ‘d most likely be their greatest supporter. But it didn’t. And I can not make believe otherwise.
So before you dive into a full-blown movement– or even worse, convince your customers to do the same– take a breath. Ask the tough concerns. And consider whether the “all-in-one” dream is worth the real-world compromises.
You’ve worked too tough to construct something excellent. Don’t risk it on a system that still seems like a beta test.
If you want my 2 cents? Stick to devices that just work.