You understand that sensation when you’re 99% sure something’s a great concept, just to realize later on … it was an overall dumpster fire? That’s specifically what happened when I decided to change my entire company over to GoHighLevel.
It looked shiny. It sounded revolutionary. Yet in truth? It turned into one of the most agonizing software decisions I have actually made in over a years of running my company.
So prior to you jump on the GoHighLevel bandwagon, let me walk you with exactly what dropped– since if you’re anything like me, you’re always seeking smarter, extra reliable ways to expand your organization. Simply … not similar to this.
The Sexy All-in-One Promise
Here’s things. When GoHighLevel struck the scene, it sounded like a desire come to life. A solitary system to manage your CRM, sales funnels, e-mail campaigns, visit bookings, automation, settlements– you call it.
If you’ve ever before handled a Frankenstein stack of tools simply to run your daily, you understand just how alluring the “all-in-one” pitch can be. I ‘d been using Keap for years (and enjoying it, truthfully), yet still– I got drawn in by the pledge of simplifying every little thing under one roof.
And yeah, I’ll confess: I had a poor case of shiny things syndrome.
Why I Left Keap (A Tool That In Fact Functioned)
Let me be actual with you: Keap wasn’t broken. It did everything I required. It handled my e-mail automations, sales funnels, consultation scheduling, invoicing– you call it. Sure, the user interface really felt a little dated in position, and sometimes things took a couple of even more clicks than I liked, however hey, it functioned.
So why modification?
Truthfully, I simply started questioning if I was losing out. GoHighLevel was less expensive (externally), provided more features, and all the awesome marketing professionals on-line seemed to be raving concerning it. FOMO is a heck of a medicine.
That inquisitiveness expense me greater than simply cash– it cost me time, energy, and comfort.
What It Price Me to Switch over
I went done in. Enrolled in the $297/month agency plan. Spent a strong 30 to 40 hours migrating information, restoring workflows, and essentially attempting to reproduce my entire Keap setup inside GoHighLevel.
Below’s what I needed to move:
- 20,000+ e-mail clients
- Lots of automations
- All customer accounts and notes
- Stripe payment integration
- Whole funnel facilities
- Personalized forms, landing pages, sets off … everything
Allow’s not even discuss the shed performance during those few weeks. I was up to my eyeballs in Zapier workarounds, viewing tutorials, and trying to find out where the hell fundamental setups were.
And simply when I believed things were functioning … they weren’t.
The Bugs Began Sneaking In
At first, everything looked alright. However then, out of nowhere, individuals on my list started obtaining e-mails they weren’t meant to get. I’m speaking totally irrelevant messages– sent in sets of 171 users at a time. Three days in a row.
Total disorder.
I restore the automations from scratch. Still occurred. I contacted support. They blamed “web server problems.” But nothing made good sense, and the problem really did not go away. Picture getting up every morning wondering who your system might’ve spammed over night.
That’s not simply bothersome– it’s dangerous. When your whole brand is improved depend on, you can not manage to resemble an unaware amateur blasting the wrong emails to the wrong individuals.
Assistance? Yeah, Good Luck
Currently, I do not anticipate perfection from any kind of system. Insects happen. However when they do? I anticipate the assistance group to step up quickly.
That didn’t take place below.
Feedbacks were vague. Tickets went unanswered. I seemed like I was screaming right into the void while my business shed. At the same time, every minute I invested fixing was a minute I had not been serving clients or growing my company.
For a tool that markets itself to serious business owners, GoHighLevel sure didn’t treat me like one.
The User interface Was a Warm Mess
You ever utilize a tool and simply really feel … lost? That was me inside GoHighLevel Klarna.
The UX was clunky. Things were hidden in odd places. Even straightforward jobs like modifying a funnel or tweaking an e-mail flow turned into a scavenger hunt.
And their funnel builder? Don’t even get me began. Want to transform item setups, web page designs, and total circulation? Great– you’ll need to hunt through three various areas that make no logical sense. Half the time, I could not also remember where I ‘d clicked something 10 seconds previously.
It seemed like making use of software program developed by engineers, for engineers– not day-to-day entrepreneur.
The “Economical” Plan That Obtained Actual Costly, Genuine Rapid
Let’s speak money.
Among GoHighLevel’s large marketing factors is the price. I imply, $97/month for all those features? Seems remarkable, appropriate?
But here’s what they do not inform you:.
You pay added per email if you utilize their SMTP.
You need to attach services like Mailgun or Twilio and manage their billing independently.
You’ll get arbitrary microcharges that aren’t explained plainly.
Desire far better e-mail deliverability? That’s gon na cost you too.
By the time I added whatever up, I was paying more than I had actually been with Keap. And worsening outcomes.
That’s not a bargain– it’s simply poor mathematics.
My Email Metrics Tanked GoHighLevel Klarna
The last straw? Seeing my email open rates drop like a rock.
I ‘d been getting a strong 35% open price with Keap. My target market was engaged, my automations were called in, and points just worked.
After changing to GoHighLevel? Opens dropped below 15%. Clicks were almost nonexistent. Something was plainly off.
Possibly it was a deliverability issue. Maybe the system was just sending out at bad times or otherwise individualizing messages correctly. Whatever the cause, I had not been sticking around to play investigative while my checklist decomposed.
Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
If you’re considering changing to GoHighLevel– or any new platform– here’s what I want a person had informed me before I made the leap:.
1. Do Not Chase the Shiny Toy
It’s very easy to get hyped about the latest “advanced” tool. But just because everyone’s talking about something doesn’t indicate it’s right for you. If your current system is functioning, hesitate prior to blowing it up.
2. Worth Simplicity Over Features
Extra isn’t always much better. A system with a tidy, instinctive user interface will conserve you time and frustrations in the future– even if it doesn’t have every feature under the sun.
3. Demand Openness
Covert prices are the most awful. Select devices that are in advance concerning pricing, integrations, and limitations. You should not require a calculator and a synonym replacement tool to comprehend your regular monthly expense.
4. Listen to Real Users (Not Simply Marketing Professionals)
Inspect honest reviews, individual forums, and Reddit strings. Focus on actual customer experience– not just slick sales pages.
Still Want an All-in-One CRM? Here Are Much better Options
If you’re still on the hunt for a trustworthy, user-friendly system to run your company, I’ve examined a lot. Here are a few I ‘d actually advise:.
Keap— My present go-to. Effective automations, strong assistance, and it just functions. Well worth every dime.
HubSpot— Great for services that require scalability and advanced CRM features.
GreenRope— A strong all-in-one service for small to mid-sized organizations with strong reporting devices.
Monday.com— Great for project monitoring, team cooperation, and sales pipe monitoring.
Bonsai— Especially terrific for consultants and service-based solopreneurs.
Conclusion
GoHighLevel might work for some. But for me? It was a discouraging, pricey experiment that I could not wait to end.
So if you’re standing at the edge, questioning whether to make the jump– think hard. Ask yourself what’s truly not operating in your existing arrangement. Do not burn your systems down even if something more recent and shinier turned up.
Stick to what jobs. Your peace of mind (and your clients) will certainly thanks.