How Francisco Aguilera Built the AMK Pro Platform with WordPress, WooCommerce & Sensei

Platform Genesis

In early 2014, Francisco Aguilera G. was delivering three online courses across Udemy, Floqq and a standalone site. He realized platform fees cut deep into his earnings and limited how he engaged with students. To regain control he decided to roll out his own portal, AMK Pro Platform, built using WordPress and powered by WooCommerce paired with the Sensei LMS plugin.

Building Core Functionality

He spun up a fresh WordPress install and added key plugins: WooCommerce for shopping cart, Sensei for course management, Sensei Modules to organize content into logical sections and Sensei Media Attachments for file delivery. By using the built-in settings he required registration for all lessons and tied course sales to WooCommerce products, giving him direct handling of orders and student data.

Integrating Analytics and Email

Tracking student activity was vital, so he brought in WooCommerce Google Analytics Integration to capture visits and add-to-cart events. To sync with his preferred email service, he installed a Campaign Monitor Synchronization add-on that fed new signups into a dedicated mailing list. A custom segment then isolated paying customers using purchase data, making targeted promotions and course updates easier than ever before.

Crafting Custom Design

Design mattered, so Francisco built a bespoke theme matching his brand rather than using an off-the-shelf template. He copied Sensei’s template files into his theme directory and tweaked containers, buttons and form fields, even redirecting purchase links straight to checkout. A snippet in functions.php stripped out unnecessary WooCommerce fields and styles to keep the experience lean and aligned with his visual identity.

Packaging Courses with Flexibility

His new course on professional WordPress theme creation needed multiple pricing tiers, each unlocking different modules and bonuses. Standard grouped products did not fit the bill, so he leveraged the Product Bundles extension to bundle courses into basic, intermediate and full packages. A special coupon for a free Udemy course was added to the top tier, rewarding early adopters and boosting perceived value.

Addressing Common Challenges

Before launch, he tested sample courses by embedding YouTube videos with the Hide YouTube Related Videos plugin to avoid distractions after playback. Following feedback from initial users, he added tools to secure the site, such as Limit Login Attempts and installed User Switching to troubleshoot student accounts. Finally, WP Mandrill took over sending transactional emails to ensure confirmation and lesson notifications landed in inboxes reliably.

Launch Outcome and Feedback

Once live, AMK Pro Platform gave Francisco full control over pricing, branding and student interaction, eliminating the 50% marketplace fee he faced elsewhere. He now manages all courses, eBooks and digital goods under one roof, with clear access controls and detailed analytics. Students appreciated a cohesive environment, custom layouts and the direct support channel provided via Campaign Monitor emails.

Lessons Learned and Next Steps

This project proved how far a lean team can push WordPress to deliver a robust learning platform without enterprise budgets. By mixing open source plugins with targeted extensions, he built a system that adapts to changing needs. Next, he plans to expand payment gateways, integrate more multimedia support and explore a mobile app wrapper to reach learners on the go.

Conclusion

AMK Pro Platform shows that instructive content and e-commerce can coexist seamlessly when you avoid one-size-fits-all solutions. With WordPress at its core and Sensei steering course delivery, this setup gives educators the freedom to own their audience and revenue. Francisco’s approach is a model for any instructor ready to cut fees, tailor the experience and build a brand-driven learning hub. It’s also a reminder that flexibility often beats complexity in product development.