You know that sensation when you’re 99% certain something’s a terrific idea, just to recognize later … it was a complete dumpster fire? That’s exactly what occurred when I determined to change my whole company over to GoHighLevel.
It looked shiny. It seemed revolutionary. However in reality? It turned into one of one of the most uncomfortable software program decisions I’ve made in over a years of running my business.
So prior to you get on the GoHighLevel bandwagon, let me walk you through precisely what decreased– due to the fact that if you’re anything like me, you’re always trying to find smarter, a lot more efficient methods to expand your organization. Simply … not like this.
The Sexy All-in-One Guarantee
Right here’s the important things. When GoHighLevel struck the scene, it seemed like a dream come true. A solitary system to manage your CRM, sales funnels, e-mail campaigns, visit reservations, automation, payments– you name it.
If you’ve ever handled a Frankenstein stack of tools simply to run your day-to-day, you understand just how tempting the “all-in-one” pitch can be. I would certainly been using Keap for several years (and loving it, honestly), yet still– I got lured in by the guarantee of streamlining everything under one roof covering.
And yeah, I’ll confess: I had a negative situation of shiny item disorder.
Why I Left Keap (A Tool That Actually Worked)
Let me be actual with you: Keap had not been damaged. It did every little thing I required. It handled my e-mail automations, sales funnels, visit scheduling, invoicing– you name it. Certain, the interface felt a little outdated in places, and often points took a couple of even more clicks than I liked, however hey, it functioned.
So why modification?
Honestly, I simply began wondering if I was missing out. GoHighLevel was less expensive (externally), offered a lot more features, and all the awesome marketing professionals on-line appeared to be going crazy concerning it. FOMO is a heck of a medication.
That interest expense me greater than just money– it cost me time, energy, and satisfaction.
What It Expense Me to Switch
I went all in. Enrolled in the $297/month agency plan. Invest a solid 30 to 40 hours migrating information, rebuilding workflows, and primarily trying to reproduce my whole Keap arrangement inside GoHighLevel.
Right here’s what I needed to move:
- 20,000+ e-mail subscribers
- Lots of automations
- All customer accounts and notes
- Stripe payment integration
- Whole funnel framework
- Personalized types, landing pages, causes … every little thing
Allow’s not even speak about the shed efficiency throughout those couple of weeks. I depended on my eyeballs in Zapier workarounds, seeing tutorials, and attempting to determine where the heck fundamental settings were.
And just when I believed things were functioning … they weren’t.
The Vermin Began Slipping In
At first, everything looked all right. But then, out of nowhere, people on my checklist began obtaining e-mails they weren’t supposed to get. I’m talking totally unnecessary messages– sent out in sets of 171 individuals at a time. Three days in a row.
Overall mayhem.
I rebuilt the automations from scratch. Still occurred. I called assistance. They condemned “server issues.” But nothing made good sense, and the issue didn’t vanish. Think of waking up every early morning wondering who your system may’ve spammed overnight.
That’s not just bothersome– it’s dangerous. When your entire brand is improved trust fund, you can not pay for to appear like an unaware amateur blasting the incorrect e-mails to the wrong people.
Assistance? Yeah, Good Luck
Now, I do not anticipate perfection from any kind of platform. Bugs happen. Yet when they do? I expect the assistance team to step up quickly.
That didn’t occur below.
Responses were vague. Tickets went unanswered. I seemed like I was screaming into deep space while my company shed. At the same time, every minute I spent troubleshooting was a minute I had not been serving clients or growing my firm.
For a tool that markets itself to significant business owners, GoHighLevel certain didn’t treat me like one.
The User interface Was a Warm Mess
You ever make use of a device and simply really feel … lost? That was me inside GoHighLevel Forms and Surveys.
The UX was clunky. Points were buried in strange places. Also simple jobs like modifying a funnel or tweaking an email flow developed into a scavenger hunt.
And their funnel builder? Do not also obtain me began. Want to alter product setups, page layouts, and overall circulation? Trendy– you’ll need to hunt through 3 different areas that make no rational feeling. Fifty percent the time, I could not even remember where I ‘d clicked something 10 seconds earlier.
It felt like utilizing software program built by designers, for designers– not daily entrepreneur.
The “Budget-friendly” Plan That Got Real Expensive, Actual Quick
Let’s speak money.
One of GoHighLevel’s big marketing factors is the cost. I imply, $97/month for all those features? Seems incredible, ideal?
But here’s what they don’t tell you:.
You pay extra per email if you utilize their SMTP.
You need to link solutions like Mailgun or Twilio and handle their invoicing individually.
You’ll obtain arbitrary microcharges that aren’t explained plainly.
Desire far better email deliverability? That’s gon na cost you also.
By the time I added whatever up, I was paying more than I had actually been with Keap. And becoming worse outcomes.
That’s not a good deal– it’s just poor mathematics.
My Email Metrics Tanked GoHighLevel Forms and Surveys
The last straw? Viewing my e-mail open prices drop like a rock.
I ‘d been getting a strong 35% open price with Keap. My audience was involved, my automations were dialed in, and things just functioned.
After switching over to GoHighLevel? Opens dropped below 15%. Clicks were nearly nonexistent. Something was plainly off.
Possibly it was a deliverability concern. Maybe the system was simply sending at bad times or otherwise individualizing messages correctly. Whatever the cause, I wasn’t staying to play investigator while my listing decayed.
Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
If you’re considering changing to GoHighLevel– or any kind of new platform– below’s what I desire somebody had actually informed me prior to I made the jump:.
1. Don’t Chase the Shiny Toy
It’s easy to get hyped regarding the current “innovative” device. However even if everyone’s talking about something does not mean it’s right for you. If your present system is working, think twice before blowing it up.
2. Value Simpleness Over Features
Much more isn’t constantly much better. A system with a tidy, user-friendly interface will conserve you time and headaches in the long run– even if it doesn’t have every feature imaginable.
3. Demand Openness
Covert prices are the most awful. Choose tools that are ahead of time concerning pricing, integrations, and limits. You should not need a calculator and a thesaurus to recognize your month-to-month expense.
4. Pay Attention to Actual Customers (Not Simply Marketing Experts)
Check impartial reviews, individual online forums, and Reddit threads. Focus on real user experience– not just glossy sales pages.
Still Want an All-in-One CRM? Below Are Much better Options
If you’re still on the hunt for a trustworthy, straightforward platform to run your business, I have actually examined a lot. Right here are a couple of I ‘d in fact suggest:.
Keap— My present go-to. Effective automations, solid assistance, and it simply functions. Well worth every penny.
HubSpot— Great for services that need scalability and progressed CRM features.
GreenRope— A solid all-in-one solution for tiny to mid-sized companies with strong coverage devices.
Monday.com— Fantastic for job monitoring, team partnership, and sales pipe monitoring.
Bonsai— Specifically wonderful for freelancers and service-based solopreneurs.
Conclusion
GoHighLevel may help some. But also for me? It was a frustrating, costly experiment that I could not wait to finish.
So if you’re standing at the side, questioning whether to make the jump– concentrate. Ask yourself what’s really not working in your current arrangement. Don’t shed your systems down even if something newer and shinier showed up.
Stick to what works. Your peace of mind (and your clients) will certainly thank you.