The Nightmare of the "App Jungle"
I was sitting in a cafe in Bulimba last week with a local electrician who was absolutely fed up. He had a lead coming in from his website, an automated email going out from a different system, his quotes being sent from a third app, and his customer list sitting in an Excel sheet that hadn't been updated since the Ekka.
He asked me, "Why am I paying $400 a month for all these tools when I still can't tell which ones are actually making me money?"
It’s a classic Brisbane small business problem. You start with one tool, then add another, and before you know it, you’re spending your Sunday nights trying to copy-paste phone numbers from one screen to another just so you can send a follow-up text.
Today, I want to help you decide between two paths: Do you put everything into one "all-in-one" system like GoHighLevel, or do you build a "Custom Stack" of individual apps that you link together?
I’m going to be blunt: for 90% of you reading this, one of these options is a massive waste of your time and money. Let’s figure out which one.
Option 1: The "All-in-One" (GoHighLevel)
Think of GoHighLevel like a Swiss Army Knife. It’s got the blade, the tweezers, the bottle opener, and the screwdriver all in one handle. In the marketing world, this tool handles your website, your email marketing, your SMS follow-ups, your calendar bookings, and your CRM (where you keep your customer details).
Why it makes you money
The biggest reason this works for local businesses—like a gym in Chermside or a law firm in the CBD—is speed. When a lead comes in, the system can automatically text them back within 30 seconds. In business, the first person to answer usually wins the job.Because everything is under one roof, you don't have to worry about making software talk to other systems. It’s already talking to itself. You can see that a person clicked your Facebook ad, visited your site, and booked a time in your calendar without you lifting a finger.
The Downside
It can feel a bit "jack of all trades, master of none." The website builder is good, but not as flexible as a dedicated platform. The email tool is great, but maybe not as fancy as a high-end design suite. However, if you just want more phone calls and fewer headaches, these minor trade-offs rarely matter.Option 2: The "Custom Stack"
This is where you pick the absolute best tool for every specific job. You might use WordPress for your website, Mailchimp for emails, Calendly for bookings, and Pipedrive for your sales.
Why it's tempting
You get the best of everything. If you are a high-end architect or a creative agency where your website needs to look like a work of art, you might need a custom build. You have total control over every pixel and every feature.The Reality Check
I’ve seen dozens of Brisbane business owners try this and fail. Why? Because it’s expensive and it breaks. You end up paying five different subscriptions. Then, one day, the tool that sends your emails stops talking to your website, and you lose three days of leads before you even notice.If you go this route, you need to be very disciplined about the way you manage customers or you'll end up back in the "App Jungle" I mentioned earlier.
Which one should you choose?
I’ll make this simple for you.
Choose the All-in-One (GoHighLevel) if: You are a tradie, a local service business, or a professional service (accountant, real estate, etc.). You want to spend your time on the tools or with clients, not playing IT support. You want to see exactly what's making money in one single dashboard. You want to automate your follow-ups so you don't lose quotes while you're on a job site.
Choose a Custom Stack if: You have a massive team and a dedicated IT or Marketing person on staff. Your business has a very unique way of working that no standard software can handle.
- You are an e-commerce giant selling thousands of products globally.
The Cost Reality
Let's talk brass tacks.
A custom stack of 5-6 good tools will easily set you back $300 to $600 per month in subscriptions alone. That doesn't include the cost of someone to set them up and fix them when they break.
An all-in-one system usually costs between $150 and $450 per month. You save money on the software, but more importantly, you save hours of your own time. For a business owner in Brisbane, what is your hour worth? $100? $200? If you save five hours a month by not chasing data between apps, the system has already paid for itself.
Quick Wins: How to Start Today
You don't need to rebuild your whole business by Monday. Here is how to get a result fast:
1. Audit your bills: Look at your bank statement. How many $30, $50, and $99 marketing software subscriptions are you paying for? If it's more than three, you're probably overcomplicating things. 2. Fix the "Leaky Bucket": The biggest waste of money isn't the software cost; it's the lead who emailed you on Tuesday that you didn't call back until Friday. Whatever system you choose, make sure it alerts your phone the second a new enquiry hits. 3. Consolidate your contacts: Get your customers out of your phone contacts, your Gmail, and your old spreadsheets. Put them in one place. Whether it’s an all-in-one or a custom CRM, having one "source of truth" is the only way to grow.
My Honest Opinion
I’ve been doing this for a long time. Most small businesses in Queensland don't need a complex, custom-coded masterpiece. They need a system that works, doesn't break, and makes the phone ring.
In 9 out of 10 cases, we recommend an all-in-one approach. It’s faster to set up, easier for your staff to learn, and much easier to see if your marketing is actually working. Stop trying to be a tech expert and get back to being the expert in your trade or profession.
If you’re tired of juggling apps and want a system that actually helps you close more jobs, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in setting up these systems so they actually work for Brisbane businesses, not against them.
Ready to simplify your business and get more leads? Contact us at Local Marketing Group and let’s chat about a system that actually makes you money.