- How to create a multilingual WordPress site
- How to translate WordPress theme: step by step
- Top 5 plugins for WordPress language change
WordPress is the most widespread CMS currently available. Creating a website on WordPress can be a rather difficult task. Especially if you want to create a website that can gain popularity and attract a large audience. In this case, it is better to trust professionals with the job. Precisely, they know better how to create a website.
Multilingualism is one of the most important factors on websites today. One of the most common reasons is the increase in the consumer audience.
And today we will figure out how to create a multilingual WordPress website.
How to create a multilingual WordPress site
A multilingual site provides users with the ability to view a site in their own preferred language. It allows you to form and extend the audience of your website.
Among the main advantages of multi-language resources are the following:
- Attracting a new audience
- Higher visibility, i.e. increase in SEO indicators
- Increase in sales
How to create a multilingual WordPress website
WordPress change language is a pretty common request. Creating a multilingual website is not as easy as it seems at first sight. CMS WordPress was not originally created as multilingual. Therefore, you will have to add a multilingual option to the site on your own. For this purpose, we have several ways of doing it. More specifically, you have to buy a plugin, create a website network, or use special translation tools. You may also use the theme with full support for the multilingual feature.
There are several basic ways to create a multi-language WordPress site. These include:
- Using a ready-made theme with a multilingual system.
- Installing an additional plugin that provides multi-lingual options.
- Creating a website in Multisite mode.
1. Using a ready-made theme
Often, WordPress themes and extensions include ready-made files with translations. There is certainly one problem. The main difficulty is that you may not always be able to get any of the required languages. But most themes are marked "translation ready." This means that you can localize them using special tools.
This is what you should pay attention to while choosing a suitable theme with multilinguality:
- Presence of translation docs. If a template is already translated into various languages, it must necessarily include .po and .mo format files. The list of the languages available is usually specified in the theme description.
- Label "Translation ready." If a template description is marked as "translation ready" then a .pot or .po file must be included in the package. Unfortunately, these themes do not always have a ready translation, but using these files, you will have the opportunity to make this translation by yourself.
- The "RTL compatible" mark is desirable. This means that the theme supports right-to-left written languages.
On the TemplateMonster website you may find a large number of well-designed and amazing themes which will help you create a multilingual website quickly and effortlessly. For example you can use: Monstroid2, Hazel, Risen, Drubo, or Fury. In these themes you may find everything you are looking for. It includes powerful functionality, high quality technical support, and all the above criteria. Installing any themes with TemplateMonster will help you get your website up and running easily.
2. Installation of additional multilingual plugins
This is quite a convenient variant for WordPress language change. Finding the suitable multilingual plugin in several languages may take some time. WordPress website contains a lot of plugins to create this kind of site. You may also use TemplateMonster. There you may also find a lot of high-quality plugins. In addition, this is just the site that you really may not doubt.
After selecting a plugin, you need to install or buy it, and then activate it. After that, you only have to get to the settings and select which languages you want to use on the site. To select which language will be the main one on the site, you need to place it at the top of the list. In addition, you need to choose a menu that will display a switch option for the language versions of the site. It is actually quite easy!
3. Multisite creation
WordPress offers all its users the Multisite option. This feature involves creating a network with WordPress already installed. In such a way, the websites may run on the same plugins and themes.
This way gives you the possibility to build separate sites for each of the required languages. The main advantages are that there is no need to use plugins. This feature is provided by WordPress itself, which means you do not need to worry about the security of your site. This option involves using Multisite mode without any additional plugins.
How to translate WordPress theme: step by step
WordPress is a platform for more than 30% of sites in the network, for which there are more than 40,000 additions, including templates. The majority of templates are in English, but users of this platform are worldwide and not only use English but also other languages. Therefore, how to translate a WordPress theme is a modern question.
The first step before you begin translating a theme is to make sure that it is ready to be translated. Sadly, not all existing themes for WordPress may be translated in one ready-made way. Translating capabilities depend on whether the developer has prepared the theme for translation.
Finding a theme suitable for translation is quite easy. There is a special translation-ready label for this. If you see it on a theme, be sure that it is fully ready to be translated.
Thus, the most common way to translate a WordPress theme is to use the tool PoEdit. PoEdit is a program for working with .po and .mo format translation files. It is most often used to translate WordPress themes and templates. You may download a free version of the program at the official PoEdit page. The free version of the program will be enough to translate WordPress themes.
If you are using this method, please follow the instructions below:
- Make sure the theme is ready to be translated.
- Search for a .POT file (basic files that are responsible for translation of WordPress themes). The .POT file needs to be saved on the computer.
- Upload and install PoEdit. Click the File menu, Create from POT file and Select the .pot file for your theme.
- Then you may choose the language to translate your theme to.
- Now you will have to translate the theme in the PoEdit interface. There will be two boxes in the window. In the first one shows the original text, and in the second box you may freely add your own translation.
- Select the "Save" button.
- After all the files for translation have been uploaded, you should specify which version of the available .PO files to use.
Also, do not forget that only those texts that you have translated in PoEdit will be translated. At the same time, there may be constructions on the site that are not translated. Keep a close eye on it!
If this option doesn't suit you, you may use the optional plugins. For example, Loco Translate.
Top 5 plugins for WordPress language change
So, as it should already be clear, the most effective way to translate a WordPress theme and site is with the use of plugins.
Translate WordPress with GTranslate
This is a rather popular plugin that will save you time and money (if you use the free version). GTranslate supports more than 100 languages. Of course there are some translation mistakes, as the free version uses statistical machine translation. The paid version offers editing, URL translation, and meta-data translation.
WPML
This plugin is widely used for translation. WPML does not require technical skills. It is constantly upgraded to be compatible with WordPress updates. WPML automatic translation is very popular. The plugin supports 40 languages plus the ability to add any other language with a language editor. There are three plans for users of the plugin: Multilingual Blog, Multilingual CMS, and Multilingual CMS Lifetime. The price varies on your purposes. WPML provides powerful support from a team of professional developers.
Polylang
This is a free plugin which is widely used by WordPress users. You write your posts, pages, categories, and tags as usual and then select the translation language from the drop-down menu. You are not limited to one language, but can choose any number of languages. The plugin can automatically detect the browser language. You can add a language switch to the widget field or the navigation menu. Despite being free, it has excellent technical support.
Transposh WordPress Translation
This powerful plugin is perfect for WordPress change language. It is very easy to setup. You must choose the desired languages in the console and add the translation widgets. Only the generated page is translated. The site is translated in a dynamic way, instead of adding multiple versions of the site in different languages. Moreover, you can translate content that was added before the plugin installation. The plugin also allows you to translate WordPress theme and sites in more than 95+ languages.
qTranslate X
qTranslate X is derived from the qTranslate plugin. This is a very popular free plugin. With qTranslate X you can easily translate all elements of the site. Also qTranslate X allows changes to switch languages. It supports an unlimited number of languages. It is both user-friendly and easy-to-use.
| Plugin Name | Plugin Provider | Price | Type of translation | The main features |
| Translate WordPress with GTranslate. | Translate AI Multilingual Solutions | available for free and paid | machine translation |
|
| The WordPress Multilingual Plugin | OnTheGoSystems | Multilingual Blog $29, Multilingual CMS $79 and Multilingual CMS Lifetime $159 | machine translation |
|
| Polylang | WP SYNTEX | fully free | automatic translation |
|
| Transposh WordPress Translation. | Team Transposh | free | automatic and machine translation |
|
| qTranslate X | qTranslate Team | fully free | automatic translation |
|
FAQ
WHAT IS A MULTILANGUAGE SITE?
The correct multilingual site is to switch the language of the site without changing the context. It is a great opportunity to attract more audience and increase the conversion of your site. In addition, multilingual is an opportunity for users around the world to use your site, products, share posts, information, and so forth.
WHERE CAN I FIND QUALITY PLUGINS?
In general, the plugins are now everywhere on the internet. Particularly popular are WordPress and TemplateMonster. These two sites sell high quality products, with full information about the plugin, and provide high-quality technical support.
WHAT THEMES CAN BE USED FOR A MULTILINGUAL WEBSITE?
To date, almost all WordPress themes include a multilingual function. However, on the official site of WordPress still there are themes without this function. In turn, TemplateMonster offers more than 2000 products. Among them, there are general-purpose themes that can be used for any type of site. In addition, there are themes specifically designed for various sites, for example, a construction store, a site for the sale of various products, personal blogs, etc. Here are examples of such themes: Monstroid, MegaSale, Bhakti WordPress Theme, and Worky.
Read Also
How To Easily Translate a WordPress Theme For Your Site
9 Plugins to Create a Multilingual WordPress Website