Multilingual WordPress Website:
Definition and Benefits
What is a multilingual website?
- A multilingual WordPress website provides the same content in numerous languages.
- It will redirect international users to a language based on their region and location automatically.
- It enables users to choose their target language as well.
2 methods to create a multilingual website
- Create a different version of your site content in another language manually using human translators
- Auto-translate all your site content from one language to another using machine translations
Why you should translate WordPress website
- Attract traffic from non-English speaking countries
- Increase international sales in a global market
- Streamline the user experience by offering content in their native tongue
Get Ready for a Multilingual Website
Before building a multilingual website, you need to prepare several things to speed up the translation process.
Translated Versions
The content you plan to offer in multiple languages. It can be individual page content or the entire website.
Language Codes
The codes that classify languages, commonly the shorthand designation of language names. Ex: English’s language codes are “en,” and “eng”.
Translation Identification
Identity which language needs the Right-to-Left (RTL) translation
Translating Options
Decide between hiring translators or using translation software
Examples of WordPress Websites with Language Switchers
- WordPress.org, contributing to over 35% of websites worldwide, allows switching to users’ languages.
- The website automatically identifies users’ locations and offers the respective languages.
- Users don’t have to look around for the language switcher since it’s placed in a green text box at the center of each page.
- WPMarmite blog content is written originally in French but you can translate it into English automatically.
- The English switcher is displayed in the website footer.
- Besides English, Moodle, an open-source WordPress LMS, display 5 other language options in a drop-down at the top-right corner of its site.
- Visitors can choose between German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
- Microsoft Researchers Database comes as a sub-site of Microsoft using multilingual functionality.
- Visitors can switch to their preferred language in the bottom-right corner, between English and French.
Features to Look for in a Multilingual Plugin
Supported Languages
The plugin can translate your content into various languages, especially rare languages spoken in a few countries only.
Ease of Use
Make it easy to translate every area of your WordPress site as well as add a language switcher on the site front-end.
SEO Friendly
Allow search engines to index translated content. At the same time, translate meta-info like keywords, descriptions, slugs, and sitemaps.
Types of Translated Content
Support translating content in pages & posts only or on other content types such as WooCommerce products and complex themes.
Automatic or Manual Translations
Provide an auto-translation feature or enable you to manually add and correct translations.
Top 4 Free Plugins to Translate WordPress Website
There are hundreds of choices when it comes to WordPress translation plugins. However, picking the right one that meets your specific demands is not an easy task. To save your time, we’ve summarized the 4 best plugins for you to choose from. Of course, they’re free.
- Google Translation plugin for WordPress
- Core features
- Connect to Google translate and get translations for any supported languages
- Translate pages, posts, categories, tags, menus, widgets, themes, and plugins
- Translate content based on user’s browser language automatically
- Support right-to-left translation
- Provide various language switcher styles, including Dropdown, Flags, and Language codes
- Translate WooCommerce stores
- The paid version starts at $7.99 per month
- Receive 300,000 active installations and a 4.9-star review
- Google Translation plugin for WordPress
- Core features
- Translate site content directly from the front-end with a real-time experience and user-friendly UI
- Work well with almost all WordPress themes and plugins
- Translate media files like images and sliders
- Add translations both manually or automatically but perfect for manual translations
- Connect with Google Translate
- Use a shortcode to display language switchers anywhere on your site
- Pick certain content to translate
- Choose to display language names in English or their own languages
- The paid version starts at $7.99 per month
- Receive 300,000 active installations and a 4.9-star review
- The leading WordPress translation plugin
- Core features
- Manage all translated content in one place
- Translate everything on your page, from title, link, to metadata
- Provide customizable language switchers
- Migrate content translated from other plugins like Polyang and WPML
- Support WooCommerce product translation
- Create SEO friendly URLs and tags for each language
- Monthly pricing plan based on the number of languages and translated words, starting from €8.25/month for 1 language and 10,000 Words
- Receive 40,000 active installations and a 4.8-star review
- Core features
- Translate your WordPress content to as many languages as your wish
- Support diverse content types: posts, pages, media, categories, post tags, menus, widgets, custom post types, sticky posts, and RSS feeds
- Style your language switchers as a widget or in the navigation menu
- Receive more than 500,000 active installations and a 4.7-star review
- Charge €99 for a 1-site license
WordPress Language Switcher Considerations
You can use a plugin to easily add a language switcher to your WordPress site. Still, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Displayed Position
Make sure the language switcher catches visitors’ attention. It should be placed at an easy-to-find place such as in the header, footer, or navigation of your website.
Targeted Languages
Focus on countries where many of your site visitors come from. You should also pay attention to countries that people speak multiple languages.
Switcher Customization
Style your language switcher to fit your WordPress themes. You can configure it in the plugin’s settings or the CSS for your theme.
Flag Avoiding
Flags may confuse site visitors in case they come from a multi-official language country. You can use the language name in their own language or language codes.
Protect Multilingual Website Content with PPWP Pro
You provide premium English content on your site for customers. When offering a multilingual website, it’s necessary to protect the translated content too.
PPWP Pro turns out to be your ideal solution to automatically secure multilingual WordPress site content.
Auto-protect translated content
- Protect main language content and all sub-language content will be locked automatically with the same password
- Manage passwords in the same place
- Easily generate new passwords, delete, deactivate, create quick access links
- Access roles to your passwords
Translate password form
- Translate your password forms: headline, description, error message, placeholder, and button text into your own language
- Work with various multilingual plugins: Weglot, Polylang, Poedit, Loco translate plugin, and WPML