Why GoHighLevel is Perfect for Local Businesses
Most CRMs are built for sales teams. GoHighLevel is built for local service businesses that need to:
- Follow up with leads instantly
- Generate reviews automatically
- Nurture prospects until they're ready
- Track every phone call and form submission
What Makes GHL Different
All-in-One Platform:
- CRM (customer database)
- SMS & Email marketing
- Review generation
- Appointment booking
- Website builder
- Funnels & landing pages
- Call tracking & recording
One Price: ~$97/month (vs. paying for 5+ separate tools)
The Essential GHL Setup
Step 1: Import Your Contacts
Start by importing:
- Past customers (from spreadsheets, old CRM)
- Current leads (from forms, phone calls)
- Email subscribers
Pro Tip: Clean your data first. Remove duplicates, fix phone numbers.
Step 2: Set Up Your Pipelines
Create pipelines for your sales process:
Example for HVAC:
- New Lead
- Estimate Scheduled
- Estimate Completed
- Proposal Sent
- Closed Won
- Closed Lost
Move contacts through stages as they progress.
Step 3: Automate Review Requests
The Setup:
- Create a "Job Complete" tag
- Trigger: When tag is added
- Action: Send SMS with review link 1 hour later
- Follow-up: Email 24 hours later if no review
Result: 80%+ review conversion rate (vs. 5% manual asking)
Step 4: Missed Call Text Back
The Problem: You miss a call, they call your competitor instead.
The Solution:
- GHL detects missed call
- Automatically sends SMS: "Hi, we missed your call. How can we help?"
- 80% of people respond
Result: Recover 30-40% of missed calls
Step 5: Lead Nurture Sequences
Not every lead is ready to buy immediately. Set up nurture sequences:
For Service Businesses:
- Day 1: Welcome email with service overview
- Day 3: Customer testimonials
- Day 7: Special offer or discount
- Day 14: "Still interested?" check-in
For Professional Services:
- Educational content series
- Case studies
- Free resources
- Consultation reminders
Real Results
Plumbing Company:
- Before: 40% of leads never followed up
- After: 95% of leads get instant follow-up
- Result: 2x more appointments booked
Medical Spa:
- Before: Manual review requests, 5% conversion
- After: Automated requests, 75% conversion
- Result: 15x more reviews per month
Common Mistakes
- Over-automating (sounding robotic)
- Not personalizing (using generic templates)
- Ignoring data (not tracking what works)
- Setting and forgetting (not optimizing)
The Investment
GoHighLevel: ~$97/month Our Setup Service: $1,500-$3,000 (one-time) ROI: Usually pays for itself in 30-60 days
Ready to Automate?
Check out our CRM & Automation services to see how we set this up for clients.