You understand that feeling when you’re 99% certain something’s a great idea, just to understand later … it was an overall dumpster fire? That’s specifically what occurred when I chose to switch my whole agency over to GoHighLevel.
It looked shiny. It sounded revolutionary. Yet in reality? It developed into among one of the most unpleasant software choices I’ve made in over a decade of running my company.
So before you get on the GoHighLevel bandwagon, let me stroll you with exactly what decreased– since if you’re anything like me, you’re constantly trying to find smarter, more effective methods to expand your organization. Just … not similar to this.
The Seductive All-in-One Assurance
Right here’s the thing. When GoHighLevel hit the scene, it seemed like a desire come to life. A solitary platform to handle your CRM, sales funnels, e-mail campaigns, appointment reservations, automation, repayments– you name it.
If you have actually ever handled a Frankenstein pile of tools just to run your everyday, you understand how appealing the “all-in-one” pitch can be. I would certainly been using Keap for many years (and loving it, honestly), however still– I got enticed in by the guarantee of streamlining whatever under one roofing.
And yeah, I’ll confess: I had a bad case of shiny item disorder.
Why I Left Keap (A Tool That Really Functioned)
Let me be genuine with you: Keap had not been broken. It did whatever I needed. It managed my email automations, sales funnels, appointment scheduling, invoicing– you call it. Sure, the user interface really felt a little outdated in places, and occasionally things took a few even more clicks than I liked, but hey, it worked.
So why adjustment?
Honestly, I just began asking yourself if I was missing out. GoHighLevel was more affordable (on the surface), used a lot more features, and all the trendy marketing professionals on-line appeared to be raving concerning it. FOMO is a heck of a medicine.
That curiosity cost me greater than just cash– it cost me time, power, and comfort.
What It Expense Me to Switch over
I went all in. Registered for the $297/month agency plan. Invest a strong 30 to 40 hours moving data, rebuilding workflows, and essentially attempting to replicate my entire Keap arrangement inside GoHighLevel.
Here’s what I needed to relocate:
- 20,000+ email subscribers
- Lots of automations
- All customer accounts and notes
- Stripe payment integration
- Entire funnel framework
- Customized kinds, landing pages, triggers … every little thing
Allow’s not also speak about the shed efficiency throughout those couple of weeks. I was up to my eyeballs in Zapier workarounds, watching tutorials, and trying to figure out where the heck standard setups were.
And just when I assumed things were functioning … they weren’t.
The Bugs Started Sneaking In
Initially, whatever looked alright. Yet then, out of no place, individuals on my listing began obtaining e-mails they weren’t expected to obtain. I’m chatting totally irrelevant messages– sent in sets of 171 users at once. 3 days straight.
Overall turmoil.
I rebuilt the automations from scratch. Still happened. I got in touch with assistance. They blamed “server issues.” But absolutely nothing made good sense, and the trouble didn’t go away. Think of getting up every morning questioning who your system might’ve spammed overnight.
That’s not simply bothersome– it threatens. When your whole brand name is improved depend on, you can not pay for to look like an unaware amateur blasting the wrong emails to the incorrect people.
Assistance? Yeah, Good Luck
Now, I do not expect perfection from any system. Insects happen. But when they do? I anticipate the assistance team to step up quickly.
That didn’t take place right here.
Responses were vague. Tickets went unanswered. I felt like I was yelling into the void while my service shed. On the other hand, every min I spent fixing was a minute I had not been offering clients or growing my agency.
For a device that markets itself to severe entrepreneurs, GoHighLevel certain really did not treat me like one.
The Interface Was a Warm Mess
You ever utilize a tool and just really feel … shed? That was me inside GoHighLevel Inbound Calls.
The UX was cumbersome. Things were hidden in strange areas. Also easy jobs like modifying a funnel or tweaking an e-mail circulation became a scavenger hunt.
And their funnel builder? Don’t even obtain me began. Want to change product settings, page formats, and overall circulation? Great– you’ll require to search through 3 various locations that make absolutely no rational sense. Half the time, I couldn’t even keep in mind where I would certainly clicked something ten seconds earlier.
It felt like utilizing software application developed by designers, for engineers– not daily business owners.
The “Economical” Plan That Obtained Genuine Costly, Real Fast
Let’s talk cash.
Among GoHighLevel’s big marketing factors is the price. I suggest, $97/month for all those features? Seems amazing, appropriate?
But right here’s what they do not tell you:.
You pay additional per e-mail if you use their SMTP.
You need to connect solutions like Mailgun or Twilio and manage their billing independently.
You’ll get arbitrary microcharges that aren’t clarified plainly.
Want far better email deliverability? That’s gon na cost you too.
By the time I added every little thing up, I was paying more than I had been with Keap. And worsening outcomes.
That’s not a bargain– it’s just bad mathematics.
My Email Metrics Tanked GoHighLevel Inbound Calls
The final straw? Watching my email open prices drop like a rock.
I would certainly been getting a solid 35% open rate with Keap. My audience was involved, my automations were dialed in, and points just worked.
After switching over to GoHighLevel? Opens went down listed below 15%. Clicks were almost missing. Something was clearly off.
Possibly it was a deliverability concern. Perhaps the system was just sending out at bad times or otherwise customizing messages correctly. Whatever the reason, I had not been remaining to play investigative while my checklist decayed.
Lessons I Discovered by hand
If you’re considering switching to GoHighLevel– or any kind of brand-new platform– here’s what I wish a person had actually told me before I made the leap:.
1. Do Not Chase the Shiny Toy
It’s very easy to obtain hyped regarding the current “innovative” tool. However even if every person’s talking about something doesn’t mean it’s right for you. If your current system is working, think twice prior to blowing it up.
2. Worth Simpleness Over Features
Much more isn’t always better. A platform with a clean, instinctive user interface will certainly conserve you time and frustrations in the long run– even if it does not have every feature under the sun.
3. Demand Openness
Concealed expenses are the worst. Select tools that are ahead of time regarding pricing, integrations, and limitations. You shouldn’t need a calculator and a synonym replacement tool to comprehend your month-to-month expense.
4. Pay Attention to Genuine Individuals (Not Just Online Marketers)
Inspect impartial reviews, individual discussion forums, and Reddit threads. Take note of real individual experience– not just glossy sales web pages.
Still Desire an All-in-One CRM? Right Here Are Much better Options
If you’re still on the hunt for a dependable, easy to use system to run your business, I have actually examined a bunch. Below are a few I ‘d in fact advise:.
Keap— My present go-to. Effective automations, strong assistance, and it simply works. Worth every dime.
HubSpot— Great for companies that require scalability and progressed CRM features.
GreenRope— A strong all-in-one option for tiny to mid-sized organizations with solid coverage tools.
Monday.com— Wonderful for job administration, team cooperation, and sales pipe tracking.
Bonsai— Specifically excellent for consultants and service-based solopreneurs.
Verdict
GoHighLevel may benefit some. However, for me? It was a discouraging, pricey experiment that I could not wait to end.
So if you’re standing at the edge, asking yourself whether to make the jump– concentrate. Ask on your own what’s really not operating in your existing arrangement. Do not melt your systems down just because something more recent and shinier turned up.
Stick with what jobs. Your sanity (and your clients) will thank you.