What's the best way to translate a WordPress website to make it multilingual?

To make a WordPress website multilingual, here are some effective strategies:

Use a Translation Plugin:

WPML: Ideal for comprehensive translation management with support for SEO and multiple languages.

Polylang: Lightweight and user-friendly for smaller projects.

TranslatePress: Allows live front-end editing for easy and visual translations.

Automatic Translation Tools:

Weglot or GTranslate: Provide automated translations with SEO support. These are great for quick setup but may require a subscription.

SEO Optimization:

Ensure your site includes hreflang tags to signal language versions to search engines.

Use subdomains (es.example.com) or subdirectories (example.com/es/) for better SEO performance.

Custom Solutions:

For advanced or unique needs, custom development can integrate language features directly into the theme or functionality.

Content Management:

Ensure all pages, posts, and menus are fully translated for a seamless user experience.

Selecting the right approach depends on your website's complexity and budget. Plugins like WPML and TranslatePress are excellent for scalable, professional multilingual setups.

The best way to translate a WordPress website into multiple languages is by using a plugin.

Recommended Plugins:

1- WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin):

• Paid and feature-rich.
• Offers professional translation management and SEO for each language.

2- Polylang:

• Free and user-friendly.
• Allows manual translation of posts, pages, and custom post types.

3- TranslatePress:

• Visual translation editor.
• Supports manual and automatic translations (e.g., Google Translate).

4- Weglot:

• SaaS-based automatic translation.
• Simple setup with SEO optimization for translated content.

Best Practice:

Choose a plugin based on your budget, content complexity, and SEO needs. Ensure it supports creating separate URLs or subdomains for each language.

The best way to make a WordPress website multilingual is to use a translation plugin. Here are some options:

1. WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin): A popular choice for creating a fully multilingual site. It supports manual and automatic translations and works well with most themes and plugins.
2. Polylang: A free plugin with a simple interface for creating multilingual sites. It allows you to add multiple languages and translate posts, pages, and categories.
3. TranslatePress: A visual translation plugin that allows you to translate your site directly from the front end. It’s easy to use and supports both manual and automatic translations via Google Translate.
4. Weglot: A cloud-based solution that automatically translates your site and allows manual adjustments. It’s simple to set up and great for speed.

These plugins make it easy to add multiple languages and manage translations.

Making a WordPress Website Multilingual with "TranslatePress":

Steps to Use TranslatePress

Install and Activate:

• Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
• Search for "TranslatePress," install, and activate it.

Configure Settings:

• Navigate to Settings > TranslatePress.
• Set your default language and add additional languages.

Translate Content:

• Visit any page on your site.
• Click "Translate Page" in the admin bar.
• Select text to translate and enter translations.

Customize Language Switcher:

• Go back to Settings > TranslatePress.
• Configure how the language switcher appears on your site.

Test Translations:

• Use the language switcher on your site to ensure translations are working correctly.

Example:

If your site is in English, set it as the default and add Spanish. Translate headings and content, then verify with the language switcher.

This method effectively creates a multilingual WordPress site.

You can make your WordPress website multi-lingual with the help of multiple WordPress Plugins.

1. TranslatePress
2. Translate WordPress – Google Language Translator
3. GTranslate
4. LocoTranslate
5. Polylang
6. DeepL

Each plugin offers multiple ways to add translations.

Few plugins allow detection of href lang from browser and auto translate the same page in their browser's language. GTranslate has this feature, which is easiest to implement.

Whereas some plugins offer native transation and dedicated language based pages, which also help in ranking multi-lingual websites in different regions across the globe. PolyLang, TranslatePress and LocoTranslate are advanced multi-lingual WordPress or WooCommerce site plugins.

 

Best plugin to make Multi Language is TranslatePress. Its easy to use and there is live editor for add the translations for the language. The free version allows upto 2 languages and there is automatic translation too using DeepL Translate API. Thanks