You recognize that feeling when you’re 99% sure something’s a fantastic idea, only to recognize later … it was a complete dumpster fire? That’s specifically what took place when I determined to change my entire company over to GoHighLevel.
It looked shiny. It appeared revolutionary. But in reality? It became one of the most unpleasant software application choices I’ve made in over a decade of running my organization.
So prior to you get on the GoHighLevel bandwagon, let me walk you through specifically what dropped– because if you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for smarter, much more reliable means to expand your service. Simply … not similar to this.
The Sexy All-in-One Assurance
Right here’s the thing. When GoHighLevel hit the scene, it sounded like a dream become a reality. A solitary platform to manage your CRM, sales funnels, email campaigns, consultation bookings, automation, payments– you call it.
If you have actually ever juggled a Frankenstein stack of tools just to run your everyday, you recognize exactly how tempting the “all-in-one” pitch can be. I ‘d been using Keap for many years (and enjoying it, honestly), but still– I obtained enticed in by the pledge of simplifying everything under one roof.
And yeah, I’ll admit it: I had a poor instance of shiny object syndrome.
Why I Left Keap (A Tool That In Fact Worked)
Let me be genuine with you: Keap had not been damaged. It did whatever I needed. It managed my e-mail automations, sales funnels, consultation organizing, invoicing– you name it. Certain, the user interface really felt a little dated in places, and occasionally points took a couple of more clicks than I liked, yet hey, it functioned.
So why change?
Honestly, I just began asking yourself if I was losing out. GoHighLevel was cheaper (externally), offered more features, and all the cool marketers online appeared to be raving concerning it. FOMO is a heck of a medicine.
That interest expense me more than simply money– it cost me time, energy, and peace of mind.
What It Price Me to Change
I went all in. Enrolled in the $297/month agency plan. Invest a solid 30 to 40 hours moving information, reconstructing workflows, and primarily trying to replicate my entire Keap setup inside GoHighLevel.
Below’s what I had to move:
- 20,000+ e-mail customers
- Lots of automations
- All client accounts and notes
- Stripe invoicing integration
- Whole funnel facilities
- Custom-made forms, landing pages, causes … every little thing
Allow’s not also discuss the shed productivity throughout those couple of weeks. I was up to my eyeballs in Zapier workarounds, seeing tutorials, and trying to figure out where the hell basic settings were.
And just when I believed things were working … they weren’t.
The Vermin Began Sneaking In
In the beginning, whatever looked alright. But after that, out of nowhere, people on my listing began getting e-mails they weren’t meant to obtain. I’m speaking completely irrelevant messages– sent out in batches of 171 individuals each time. Three days straight.
Total disorder.
I reconstruct the automations from scratch. Still occurred. I contacted support. They criticized “server concerns.” Yet absolutely nothing made sense, and the trouble didn’t go away. Picture waking up every early morning wondering who your system might’ve spammed overnight.
That’s not just annoying– it threatens. When your whole brand name is built on depend on, you can’t manage to look like a clueless amateur blowing up the wrong e-mails to the wrong individuals.
Assistance? Yeah, All The Best
Currently, I do not anticipate perfection from any type of system. Bugs occur. But when they do? I anticipate the assistance group to step up quickly.
That really did not occur below.
Responses were unclear. Tickets went unanswered. I seemed like I was screaming into deep space while my business shed. Meanwhile, every min I invested fixing was a minute I had not been offering clients or expanding my firm.
For a tool that markets itself to severe entrepreneurs, GoHighLevel certain really did not treat me like one.
The User interface Was a Warm Mess
You ever before use a tool and just feel … shed? That was me inside GoHighLevel VoIP integration.
The UX was cumbersome. Points were hidden in strange areas. Also simple jobs like modifying a funnel or tweaking an email flow became a scavenger hunt.
And their funnel builder? Don’t even obtain me started. Intend to transform item settings, web page formats, and total circulation? Cool– you’ll need to hunt through 3 different locations that make zero logical feeling. Half the moment, I couldn’t even bear in mind where I would certainly clicked something 10 seconds previously.
It felt like making use of software program constructed by designers, for engineers– not day-to-day entrepreneur.
The “Inexpensive” Plan That Obtained Actual Expensive, Real Fast
Let’s talk cash.
One of GoHighLevel’s huge selling points is the price. I mean, $97/month for all those features? Sounds remarkable, right?
But below’s what they do not tell you:.
You pay additional per email if you use their SMTP.
You have to link solutions like Mailgun or Twilio and handle their billing separately.
You’ll obtain arbitrary microcharges that aren’t clarified clearly.
Want much better e-mail deliverability? That’s gon na cost you too.
By the time I added everything up, I was paying greater than I had actually been with Keap. And worsening outcomes.
That’s not a good deal– it’s simply poor mathematics.
My Email Metrics Tanked GoHighLevel VoIP integration
The last straw? Viewing my e-mail open rates drop like a rock.
I ‘d been obtaining a strong 35% open rate with Keap. My audience was engaged, my automations were called in, and things just functioned.
After changing to GoHighLevel? Opens dropped below 15%. Clicks were virtually missing. Something was plainly off.
Perhaps it was a deliverability problem. Perhaps the system was simply sending at bad times or not customizing messages correctly. Whatever the cause, I had not been remaining to play investigator while my listing decayed.
Lessons I Discovered by hand
If you’re thinking of switching to GoHighLevel– or any kind of brand-new platform– here’s what I want somebody had actually told me before I made the jump:.
1. Do Not Chase the Shiny Toy
It’s very easy to obtain hyped regarding the most up to date “advanced” tool. But just because everybody’s discussing something does not imply it’s right for you. If your present system is functioning, reconsider prior to blowing it up.
2. Worth Simplicity Over Features
A lot more isn’t constantly better. A platform with a tidy, intuitive user interface will certainly save you time and headaches over time– even if it doesn’t have every feature under the sun.
3. Need Transparency
Covert expenses are the most awful. Choose tools that are in advance about pricing, integrations, and restrictions. You shouldn’t require a calculator and a thesaurus to understand your month-to-month costs.
4. Listen to Actual Customers (Not Simply Marketers)
Examine unbiased reviews, user online forums, and Reddit threads. Focus on actual individual experience– not just glossy sales pages.
Still Desire 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 company, I’ve checked a lot. Right here are a couple of I ‘d in fact suggest:.
Keap— My existing go-to. Powerful automations, strong assistance, and it just works. Well worth every cent.
HubSpot— Great for organizations that require scalability and progressed CRM features.
GreenRope— A strong all-in-one service for tiny to mid-sized businesses with solid reporting devices.
Monday.com— Wonderful for task management, group partnership, and sales pipeline monitoring.
Bonsai— Particularly terrific for freelancers and service-based solopreneurs.
Verdict
GoHighLevel may help some. But also for me? It was a discouraging, pricey experiment that I couldn’t wait to finish.
So if you’re standing at the side, wondering whether to make the leap– think hard. Ask on your own what’s actually not operating in your current setup. Don’t shed your systems down even if something newer and shinier showed up.
Stick to what jobs. Your sanity (and your customers) will certainly thanks.