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I only recommend tools that I personally use and trust.

Jim Pirrie

Jim Pirrie

service business owners

For an integrated platform that simplifies marketing and client management:

Why I use GoHighLevel

How GoHighLevel helps me attract, nurture, and convert the right clients within a simple, dependable business system.

GoHighLevel is my central hub for online marketing, lead capture, and automated client communication.

What it is:

  • An all-in-one online marketing, automation and CRM platform

What it Does:

  • Website, funnel, and content delivery hosting

  • Email follow-up

  • Email newsletter

  • Social media posting

  • Soial media engagement

The problem it solves:

  • Fragmented tools

  • Visitor engagement

  • Inconsistent follow-up

Why I chose it:

  • Functional fit

  • Ease of use

  • Cost-effective pricing

Where it fits:

GoHighLevel is my central hub for online marketing, lead capture, and automated client communication.

See how GoHighLevel could support your own business:

The challenge I faced:

Managing my online presence has always been a headache.

The requirement is simple: be present online, connect with people and sell your products and services — but there are so many moving parts it can seem overwhelming:

  • The website — so people can find out about you and what you do

  • Landing pages — so people can download lead magnets, register for webinars, complete surveys

  • The blog — for long-form, search-friendly content

  • Enquiry forms — so people can send you a message while they are on your website

  • Chat widgets — so people can interact with your business in real time

  • Sales pages — so people can learn about online courses and programmes

  • Online store — so you can sell physical products as well as courses and memberships

  • A client portal, so people only have one place to go to access everything

  • Checkout pages — so people can pay online using credit cards

  • Confirmations — so people know what's happened

  • Email sequences — to follow up on interactions

  • Email newsletters — to keep in touch regularly

  • Social media posting — so there is fresh centent on all your channels

  • Responding to comments and messages — so people feel engaged and heard

  • Hosting online courses and memberships — so only subscribers have access

  • Delivering lead magnets and resources — so only contacts can download them

  • A calendar — so people can schedule a call with you without the to-ing and fro-ing

  • Surveys — so you can understand more deeply about your clients

  • Hosting live webinars — so you can be live in front of prospects, teach and interact

  • Hosting evergreen webinars — so you can create a webinar once and have it working for you forever

  • Analytics — tracking how much traffic you're getting and what visitors are doing

  • Media storage — so you can keep all your images and resources organised

The list goes on and on.

And while there are probably things on that list you don't need — you might later.

See how GoHighLevel could support your own business:

What I tried to solve it:

Everything!

Well, it felt like it.

For just the website side of things: Wix, Wordpress, ModX and more — even building from scratch using HTML. They all do the job, but clunky. And the security issues around Wordpress are terrifying. I have clients whose business-critical Wordpress sites have gone down for weeks because there was an insecure, out-of-date plugin installed. And that site was being managed by a web developer!

And I didn't want to mess around with plugins for even just simple things like SEO. It's obvious I want SEO — so it should just be there. I wanted a website builder that was secure, easy to use, and fully functional, not one that needed to be put together like a jigsaw whose pieces need updating every few weeks.

For just email, ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, AWeber and custom-build apps. Yes, all great at dealing with emails — but then how to sync the contact list with your Calendly calendar, your SurveyMonkey surveys, your GoToWebinar sessions? Everything in one place, please.

Of course, there are fully integrated platforms. Those I have tried (Kajabi, Keap, Kartra, GrooveKart) were either too expensive, too difficult to use, or too flaky. Others seem to be aimed at enterprise-level businesses with specialised online marketing teams to run them, and have way more functionality than a business like mine could ever need.

Then you think about adding on a social media scheduler plus SurveyMonkey, and Calendly, and a webinar platform and anything else you might need — like a funnel builder — and you soon find yourself managing ten different systems from ten different providers — none of which talk to each other and all wanting a monthly subscription. It all adds up.

That is a massive overhead not just financially, but technically — and a huge business risk. The likelihood of building a simple, effective, integrated, end-to-end — and reliable — business system from a patchwork of point-solutions is pretty much nil unless you have deep pockets, a team of integration specialists, and plenty of time.

I don't know about you — but my business doesn't look like that!

See how GoHighLevel could support your own business:

What I was looking for:

A business like mine — and, I imagine, yours — doesn't need bells and whistles. We just need solid functionality to serve a practical need at a reasonable price.

We need it all in one place, from one reputable supplier, with everything seamlessly talking to each other.

But we don't need it to do everything.

We just need it to do the closely related stuff really well — without trying to be too clever. I wouldn't be comfortable buying marketing software from a provider who also develops accounting software, or project management software, or video editing software. The skill sets, user bases, philosophy — pretty much everything, in fact — are completely different.

I wanted a supplier who 'got' marketing, 'got' my kind of business, and specialised in creating highly capable, highly useable software designed specifically to help businesses like ours 'do' marketing with the least possible fuss.

You and I don't need 'hard-sell' features. We just need what we need to communicate our professional expertise in the channels that work for our sort of business.

See how GoHighLevel could support your own business:

Why I choose GoHighLevel:

GoHighLevel is the first system I have felt comfortable making the core marketing backbone for my business. Here's why:

Good 'Fit' for me and my business:

This platform does everything I need it to, and hasn't fallen into the trap of trying to be all things to all people. That means it's quick to learn, because everything simply makes sense. When I look at the menus, there is nothing missing, and nothing where I think 'I'll never use that'.

In my experience, this is rare. Most marketing platforms I've used have been difficult to navigate, complex to understand and awkward to use. GoHighLevel is, in my view, the exact opposite — easy to navigate, intuitive to understand, and simple to use, yet without sacrificing capability or functionality. I frequently find myself saying 'I wish I had designed this!' In fact it feels rather like I did, because it feels, to me, intuitive and complete.

Comprehensive Functionality:

That list at the top of the page? It's all in here — and it's all integrated around a single contact list:

  • Pipeline management — for managing real-world opportunities

  • Calendars — for letting people schedule appointments with you online

  • Social media scheduling — so you don't have to do it yourself every time (recurring posts, too)

  • Email marketing — for newsletters etc

  • Workflow automation — so you can automatically take action based on user interactions

  • Funnels, websites, stores, blogs, forms, surveys, quizzes — everything for your web front-end

  • Chat widgets — so people can chat with you while they are still on your website

  • Client portal — so your clients have a single, branded login for everything

  • Courses and memberships — so you can package and sell your expertise and experience online

  • Reputation management — requesting and managing reviews and testimonials

There are a few things that incur additional costs, but nothing essential:

  • AI agents

  • Voice over IP — so you can include automated telephone calls in your marketing

  • SMS messaging — so you can integrate text messages into your marketing

  • WhatsApp integration — so you can use WhatsApp messages in your marketing

Nothing Superfluous

The team behind this seem to know what they are good at and who they serve, and they stick to it. It feels like they just want to be a high-quality marketing platform for small businesses, and the functionality is contained to that niche. No high-end, enterprise tools, no fancy collaboration tools — just good, sensible marketing tools.

Useability:

My experience actually using GoHighLevel is that it is intuitive and straightforward. It is certainly the most useable of all the platforms I have tried, which is a really important factor for me — I want tools that keep out of the way while they fully support me. Most software seems to be designed to get in the way as much as possible: awkward navigation, functionality you have to spend an hour just to locate, and obviously required features not implemented. For me, GoHighLevel's navigation is intuitive, functionality is easy to find, and everything I've needed has just simply been there.

Reasonable Pricing:

Given the functionality and useability, and the way this tool fits so exactly over the complete heart of the online activities of my business, the price tag of ~£70/month makes it a complete no brainer.

For example, if you didn't need the online course/membership capability, you might choose something like:

  • Wix for your website (~£10/month)

  • Buffer for your social media (~£15/month to include LinkedIn)

  • Mailchimp for your marketing automation and email (~£16/month to include automations)

  • Calendly for appointments (~10/month)

That jigsaw will already cost you ~£50/month — and you'll have to learn 4 different interfaces. Plus it takes a surprising amount of time to adjust when switching from one tool to another — even just logging in and changing your thinking to adapt to a different user experience. If that adds just a few minutes a day the 'time cost of switching' could easily add up to way over the extra £20.

So, looking at this from a systems perspective, an app like GoHighLevel instead of piecing a jigsaw together makes sense:

  • It gives you all the functionality you need now

  • It gives you the possibility to use advanced features in the future

  • it is built around a single, integrated contact database

  • it minimises the time cost of switching

  • it is scaleable

  • at an affordable price

So, in my personal opinion based on my experience using the system, GoHighLevel continues to be the platform of choice for running the online activities of my business — website, social media, automation, monetisation and delivery.

See how GoHighLevel could support your own business:

Where GoHighLevel fits in my business system:

GoHighLevel is my central hub for online marketing,

lead capture, and automated client communication.

Any marketing automation platform form the backbone of any business with an online component — which is pretty much any business. Here's what I use it for:

  • Website

    • main site

    • funnels

    • checkouts

    • client portal

  • Automation

    • following up visitor engagement

  • Calendar

    • scheduling calls and appointments

  • Newsletter

    • regular email communication

  • Social media posting on:

    • Facebook business page feeds

    • Facebook business page Reels

    • Post to Instagram feeds

    • Post to Instagram Business Reels

    • Post to LinkedIn business pages

    • Post to LinkedIn profiles

    • Post to YouTube channels

    • Post to YouTube Shorts

  • First Comments on:

    • Facebook page posts

    • Instagram Business posts

    • LinkedIn profile posts

    • LinkedIn business page posts

    • YouTube channel videos

    • YouTube Shorts

  • Engagement — responding to comments and messages on:

    • Facebook business page feeds

    • Facebook business page Reels

    • Instagram feeds

    • Instagram Reels

    • LinkedIn profile comments

    • LinkedIn profile DMs

    • LinkedIn business page DMs

    • LinkedIn business page comments

  • Reputation management — requesting and responding to reviews and testimonialson:

    • Google My Business

Sadly the platform can't yet manage social engagement on:

  • YouTube channel videos

  • YouTube Shorts

— but the docs say those are 'coming soon'.

See how GoHighLevel could support your own business:

FAQs

Getting Started

In simple terms — what is GoHighLevel?

GoHighLevel is an all-in-one platform that helps you attract leads, manage conversations, nurture relationships, and convert enquiries into clients. Instead of using multiple disconnected tools for your website, email marketing, CRM, and automation, GoHighLevel brings these capabilities together in one place. Within my Client Lifecycle System, it acts as the central hub for managing the early stages of the client journey—from first contact through to conversion — as well as hosting online courses.

Will GoHighLevel work for my business?

GoHighLevel is particularly well suited to expertise-led service businesses such as consultants, coaches, trainers, and agencies. If your business relies on attracting enquiries, managing relationships, and converting conversations into clients, it will be a valuable tool. While it is flexible enough to support larger organisations, it is especially effective for solo professionals and small teams seeking a simple, scalable system.

Is GoHighLevel suitable for solo professionals?

Yes. In fact, GoHighLevel is an excellent fit for solo professionals because it consolidates several essential business functions into a single, easy-to-manage platform, reducing both cost and complexity. That means you can run a professional and scalable operation on your own, without needing a large team or extensive technical expertise.

Do I need to be technical to use GoHighLevel?

No. One of primary reasons I chose GoHighLevel over the alternatives is that it can be used effectively without being a technical expert. If you aren't technical, you can start simply — with a small subset of its features — and still see excellent results, knowing that the system will support you as your confidence grows and you want to use it more fully.

How much does GoHighLevel cost, and is it good value?

GoHighLevel is typically priced on a monthly subscription basis, with plans designed for individual businesses as well as agencies. While the exact cost depends on the plan you choose, my personal view is that it offers excellent value — another reason why I chose it. It also replaces several separate tools such as website builders, email marketing systems, CRM platforms, and scheduling software, which can dramatically reduce the time it takes to learn how to use it and start to see the benefits. When considered as part of a cohesive system, it is, in my view, more cost-effective than managing multiple subscriptions, and more cost effective than the alternatives I have explored.

Functionality and Fit

What problem does GoHighLevel solve?

Many service businesses struggle with fragmented systems—separate tools for websites, email marketing, CRM, and follow-up—leading to missed opportunities and inconsistent client experiences. GoHighLevel solves this by providing a unified platform that streamlines lead capture, communication, and conversion, ensuring that your online and social presence are strong, enquiries are managed consistently, and nothing falls through the cracks.

Do I need to use all GoHighLevel's features?

Not at all. Most businesses will see big benefits from using just a small subset of the platform’s capabilities. My approach focuses on leveraging the core features that deliver the greatest impact—such as lead capture, CRM, email automation, and pipeline management—rather than attempting to use everything. The goal is clarity and reliability, not complexity — and as you start to see what the tool can do for you, you can expand what you use.

How will GoHighLevel fit into my business?

I can best answer this by looking at my own my business: GoHighLevel is the central hub for online marketing, lead capture, and automated client communication. I use it to build my website, create landing pages and forms to capture leads, manage social media posting and engagement, automate follow-up communications, and track the progress of opportunities through my sales pipeline. In essence, it is the operational backbone for managing client acquisition, engagement and online delivery.

Does GoHighLevel replace the need for other tools entirely?

In many cases, particularly for online activities, yes. It can replace tools such as website builders, email marketing platforms, CRM systems, and scheduling software. However, some businesses may still choose to use specialist tools for specific functions where their processes require specific functionality. The key advantage of GoHighLevel is that it significantly reduces the number of separate systems required for your online presence, simplifying both management and integration.

For example, I use Ticket Tailor for event ticketing — a specialist function that GoHighLevel sensibly doesn’t attempt to replicate — and I use other specialist tools for areas such as project management and workflow where appropriate.

Implementation and Integration

Can GoHighLevel integrate with the other tools I already use?

Yes. GoHighLevel offers native integrations with many popular applications. Where a direct integration is not available, you can use Zapier to connect systems and automate data flow. GoHighLevel also provides API access for more advanced or custom integrations..

How long does it take to get started with GoHighLevel?

In many cases, you can be up and running — with website, landing pages, pipelines, and automated follow-ups—in a few days. More complex implementations will take longer, depending on the scope of your implementation. However, by following a structured, step-by-step approach aligned with the Client Lifecycle System Map, you can begin seeing benefits quickly and then refine the setup over time.

Will switching to GoHighLevel disrupt my business?

When implemented thoughtfully and incrementally, disruption is minimal. Rather than replacing everything at once, I recommend introducing GoHighLevel in stages—starting with the areas that will deliver the greatest immediate benefit, and if perhaps running it in parallel as a test environment so you can migrate data, test processes, make sure everything works how you want, amnd perhaps even improve on what went before. That way you can minimise disruption and risk.

Do you help with setting up GoHighLevel?

Yes, in several ways, depending on your needs: advice and coaching to help design and implement, hands-on assistance with setup and configuration, or collaboration with my associate team for more advanced integrations and custom solutions. The aim is to give you the support you need to ensure the platform works effectively for your business and helps deliver your objectives.

Alternatives and Support

What if I decide GoHighLevel is not for me?

That’s perfectly fine. Some people run very successful businesses with a notebook and a phone. Others employ teams of specialists and use enterprise-grade applications. The most important thing is to make your choice based on what you need to make your own specific business reliable, consistent, and profitable — in your market, with your capabilities.

Is GoHighLevel the only way to achieve this?

No. GoHighLevel is simply the tool that I have found to offer the best balance of functionality, usability, and cost for my own business and many of my clients. Similar outcomes can be achieved using combinations of specialist tools, or other integrated marketing systems. However, GoHighLevel’s comprehensive functionality, integrated nature and competitive pricing may make it an easily implemented, easily managed and operationally effective choice.

What alternatives should I consider?

The sheer volume of possibilities makes this an impossible question to answer! From my own experience, what I would say is that you need to allow yourself several months — potentially years — of testing and evaluation to be sure you are getting what you need. The first step is to define the shape of your business into the future, so you can plan what functionality you will need and when. Then decide whether you want to insist on best-in-breed systems for each specific area and carry the cost of integrating them, or choose a single, integrated suite of functionality which will give you 90% of what you want out of the box. The next step is to do the desk research to shortlist the systems that fulfil your criteria, at which point you can start, one by one, to set up trial accounts and evaluate them.

That can be a rather long, frustrating and unrewarding process.

Something I have seen many times in both blue-chip and small businesses is the insistence on finding systems to fit existing (or planned) processes — often at huge cost. In many cases, it is much more efficient to find a supplier who specialises in an area and who has built a system around processes they know work — and then integrate those processes into the business. It is much easier, lower risk and cheaper to train people to work with capable software than it is to find perfect software that is an exact fit, or to bend software out of shape to fit around what people are used to.

See how GoHighLevel could support your own business:

Helping expertise-led service businesses build predictable, scalable growth

Jim Pirrie helps expertise-led service businesses turn their knowledge into consistent client growth using simple, structured, systems-based approaches. He is the creator of the Client Lifecycle System and producer of the Unboxing Business authority marketing platform.

He is the author of Confidence, Presence and Purpose, a practical handbook for business speakers, presenters and facilitators.

Explore the tools I use

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  • Why I use OnePageCRM

  • Why I use Better Proposals

  • Why I use Funnelytics

  • Why I use Ticket Tailor

Productivity

  • Why I use PromptSmart

  • Why I use ClickUp

  • Why I use CheckFlow

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All tools featured on this site have been selected based on my personal experience and their suitability for running a professional service business. I only recommend tools I personally use and trust, and recommendations are not influenced by commercial relationships.

Any examples or case studies shared are illustrative and not a guarantee of results. The success of any business system depends on many factors, including implementation, market conditions, and individual circumstances.

The information provided on this website is for general guidance only and does not constitute professional, financial, or legal advice. You should seek appropriate professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances before making business decisions.

Some links on this site may be affiliate links. If you choose to use them, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use and trust.