Review of Digital Marketing Automation using Go High Level: The ONLY Tool You Really Need?

Dashboard view of an all-in-one marketing automation platform on a laptop screen.
Dashboard view of an all-in-one marketing automation platform on a laptop screen.

Who it IS for: Agencies/Consultants.

Who it is NOT for: Very small brick-and-mortar businesses.

Verdict: ⭐️ 4.8/5

It is the only platform that delivers on the promise of "all-in-one" without being mediocre in everything.

If you're like me, your list of software subscriptions seems endless.

I call it "Hell of Open Eyelashes."

  • I had ClickFunnels for funnels. I had ActiveCampaign for email sequences.

  • I had Calendly for scheduling appointments.

  • I had Pipedrive as my CRM.

  • And I had Zapier running 24/7 as the digital "duct tape" to make everything talk to each other.

The problem was obvious: nothing was really connected. It was expensive, inefficient, and frankly impossible to easily automate things. I spent more time fixing broken "Zaps" than getting customers.

The Problem (My "Before" Story)

At first, I was skeptical. I had heard the promise of "all-in-one" before, and it usually means a platform that does 10 things poorly.

But HighLevel is different.

It's not just another tool. It's a marketing operating system. It's the foundation upon which everything else is built. It was the first time I saw a platform that not only had a CRM, funnel builder, and emailer, but had built them to work together from day one.

Suddenly, I no longer needed to "connect" my calendar to my CRM. I no longer needed to "tell" my email system that someone had filled out a form in my funnel.

Everything... just... worked.

And then, I discovered HighLevel.

I've spent hundreds of hours on the platform. Forget about the list of 100 features they have. For agencies and consultants, only these 5 things matter:

Feature 1: CRM with Unified Inbox

  • What is it: A single screen where you can view and respond to emails, SMS, Facebook messages, Instagram DMs, and Google My Business messages from all your prospects.

  • Why it matters: It replaces the need to have five tabs open and eliminates the chaos of "Oops, I didn't see that DM." It's the control center for easily automating your communication.

  • Use Case: A prospect contacts you via your web form (email). You reply. Then they text you via SMS. Their reply appears in the same conversation thread. You close the sale via Instagram DM. Everything is recorded in a single customer profile.

Feature 2: Workflow Builder (Automation)

  • What it is: The visual "brain" of the platform. This is where you create rules such as "If X happens, then do Y."

  • Why it matters: This replaces Zapier ($20/month) for internal tasks and ActiveCampaign ($49/month) or Keap ($159/month) for digital marketing automations. This is where the real magic happens.

  • Use case: If a prospect schedules an appointment (Calendar), the workflow automatically sends them a confirmation email (Email), sends them three SMS reminders (before the appointment), and, if they don't show up, assigns a task to a salesperson (CRM) to call them.

  • What it is: A high-speed drag-and-drop page builder designed for conversion.

  • Why it matters: It directly replaces ClickFunnels ($97/month) or Leadpages ($49/month). The savings are obvious and immediate, and you don't have to "connect" your funnel to your CRM because they already live in the same place.

  • Use Case: As an agency, you build your client (a dentist) a "50% Off Dental Cleaning" funnel. The landing page, appointment scheduling page, and thank you page are created in minutes, and leads go straight to the CRM.

Feature 3: Funnel and Website Builder

Feature 4: Whitelabel Mode (White Label for Agencies)

  • What it is: The ability to put your own logo and name on the HighLevel platform and resell it to your customers as if it were your own software.

  • Why it matters: This changes the game. You go from being a "service" to becoming a "SaaS" (Software as a Service). It's the difference between charging once and charging every month.

  • Use case: "You sell your 'Automatic Prospecting System' to a gym for $297/month. You give them access to your platform (with your logo) so they can see their leads. They believe the software is yours. It's pure recurring revenue."

Feature 5: Calendar and Appointment System

  • What it is: A native appointment scheduler, as functional as the best tools on the market.

  • Why it matters: It replaces Calendly ($12/month) or Acuity Scheduling. Again, the benefit is integration. A calendar that "talks" to your CRM and your automations is 10 times more powerful.

  • Use case: "You create a calendar for '30-Minute Consultations'. You put it in your funnel. When someone schedules, the workflow knows that person has gone from 'prospect' to 'scheduled appointment' and automatically moves them in your sales pipeline."

No product is perfect. After using it thoroughly, here is my honest assessment.

Pros vs. Cons (Total Honesty)
✅ My Pros (What I love about HighLevel)
  • Consolidation is Real: "All-in-one" isn't just marketing hype. I literally canceled five subscriptions (ClickFunnels, ActiveCampaign, Calendly, Zapier, and a basic CRM). The savings are tangible.
  • The "Whitelabel" Potential is Infinite: This isn't just a tool, it's a business in a box. For agencies, the ability to resell the software creates a game-changing recurring revenue stream.
  • Native Automation: The fact that the Calendar, CRM, Funnels, and Emails/SMS talk to each other without the need for external connectors (like Zapier) is the true definition of "Easy Automation."
  • Unstoppable Community and Support: They have 24/7 chat support and a Facebook community (official and affiliate) where you can always find answers. You are not alone.

❌ My Cons (The Inconvenient Truth)
  • The Learning Curve Is No Joke: I'll be 100% honest. This isn't Mailchimp. It's a complete operating system. You're not going to master it in an afternoon. Power comes at a price, and that price is the initial setup time.
  • It's Easy to Get Lost: Because it's so powerful, it's easy to get overwhelmed. You open the platform and see 50 options. My advice is to take it one module at a time. Start with just the Inbox and Calendar.
  • The Email Builder is Functional, not "Pretty": If you're coming from platforms like Mailchimp or Flodesk that focus on super-designed emails, HighLevel's builder will seem more basic. It's powerful for automation, but it won't win any design awards.

Price Analysis (Is it worth it?)

black blue and yellow textile
black blue and yellow textile
Plan 1: Agency Starter ($97/month)
  • Who it is for: Freelance consultants or business owners who will use it for their own company (single account)..

  • Mathematics (Saving):

    • ClickFunnels (or similar): ~$97/month

    • ActiveCampaign (or similar): ~$49/month

    • Calendly (or similar): ~$12/month

    • A basic CRM: ~$25/month

    • Total you save: ~$183/month.

  • Verdict: You're saving $86/month from day one, and what's more, everything is connected!

Don't look at the price. Look at the replacement costs and revenue potential.

I see it in two ways:

white concrete building during daytime
white concrete building during daytime
Plan 2: Agency Unlimited ($297/month)
  • Who it's for: Marketing Agencies. Period. If you have more than one client (or plan to), this is the plan for you.

  • Mathematics (Profit):

    • It gives you everything in the Starter plan, but for unlimited clients and with the Whitelabel feature.

    • Think about this: If you only get 3 customers and charge them $99/month for your "marketing software," you've already covered the total cost of the platform.

    • Customer #4 and beyond are 100% profit. It is not a cost, it is a profit center.

No. There's no such thing.

It's something better: it's the right foundation. It requires work at the beginning (like anything else worth doing...)

My philosophy is "Automate Easy," and HighLevel is the only engine I've found that really allows you to do that at a professional level.

If you're a consultant or agency that takes efficiency seriously and wants to stop being a "technician" and become a "business owner," HighLevel isn't an expense, it's your best investment.

My Verdict: 100% Recommended.

So, is HighLevel the magic solution?

My Exclusive Bonus (Free)

Since my goal is to help you "Automate Easily," I want to make sure you succeed from Day 1.

If you sign up for your 14-day free trial using my affiliate link, I will send you my personal resource for free:

man writing on white board
man writing on white board
My Checklist: "The 5 Essential Workflows for Your Agency in HighLevel"

It's the quick start guide I wish I had. It shows you exactly how to set up your first 5 key automations to save time right away.

How to claim it:

  1. Click the button below to start your free trial.

  2. Forward the HighLevel welcome email to hola@automatizatumarketing.com.

  3. I'll send you the checklist right away!