How to localize your website with WPML

Whether you’re using it as a portfolio, trying to sell a product or just doing some general marketing, having a quality website is important. While your WordPress site might be optimized, did you ever consider that someone might stumble upon it and not understand a single word? That’s a reality when your site is only in one language — you could be losing out on a big chunk of potential readers by failing to implement website localization.

The WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML) can help you take your marketing to the next level. Keep reading to learn what WPML is and how your page will benefit from it.

Why WordPress?

There are a lot of ways to make a website, but using WordPress is definitely one of the best options. It is open-source and completely free.

In fact, WordPress was developed for bloggers and people who aren’t tech-savvy. As a result, it is quite simple to use. Customizing your web page and updating content has never been easier. You can make your page look like anything you want.

Another great thing about WordPress is that there are thousands and thousands of plugins available for it. These plugins can be used in various ways, from SEO (search engine optimization) to translating the entire site into multiple languages — and that’s where WPML comes in.

What is WPML, and what does it do?

The WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML) is a type of localization tool that translates your website into as many different languages as you need. It is flexible and compatible with any WordPress site. Additionally, it keeps SEO in mind, so you don’t need to worry about your website losing quality in the translation process.

WPML is secure and stable. Hundreds of thousands of websites use this useful tool for website localization. Consequently, it is highly optimized and reliable.

Why do I need WPML?

Did you know that only a fifth of the world population speaks English? Wouldn’t it be amazing if your website could be understood by everyone and not just a fraction of people? If you find this thought interesting, but don’t yet have a full localization strategy for various locales around the world, then WPML might be the right tool for you.

A nice-looking website will only get you so far. What really grabs people’s attention is familiarity. They are more likely to stay on your site if the page is in their native language. The end goal is to make them want to revisit the website. WPML can make that happen.

When you go the extra mile to fully localize your website to various cultures, it shows that you care, which in turn improves your brand image and extends its reach. Improving your brand name is one of the best ways to maintain good traffic.

How do I make a multilingual website for website localization?

Making a multilingual website might sound a little overwhelming. However, it’s actually quite easy. All you need are these three plugins:

  1. WPML Multilingual CMS — this is the main plugin.
  2. WPML Translation Management — this one connects you to your language service provider.
  3. WPML String Translation — this one, as the name says, allows you to translate strings.

Upon downloading these plugins and logging in, go to “WMPL” and then the translation management page. Next, go to “translation services.”  Finally, pick the name of the language service provider that you want, and you are good to go.

Who knew that a multilingual website was just a few clicks away?

How does the translation process work?

Once again, while it might sound complicated, the process itself is quite simple. As previously mentioned, WordPress and WPML are easy to use.

Naturally, the first step is connecting to the website language service provider. All you need to complete this step is the API token. Once you enter your API token in the translation services page, your language service provider account and your website will connect.

After that’s done, you need to order the actual translation. The “translation dashboard” lets you choose which parts of the website you want to translate (titles, content, individual posts or pages, and so on). This is also where you choose which languages you want to translate your content into.

Next, go to the “translation basket.” Here you will find all the information needed to verify your order. Remember to set a deadline and choose the type of translator you want. That’s it!

Enjoy your new multilingual website!

Finally, you have a translated WordPress website! Once everything is up and running, you can see the benefits of website localization. Localizing your website will improve your rankings, reach a wider audience, and potentially contribute to higher client satisfaction.

Nicola Jane Leiper
Nicola Jane Leiper is founder and director of Espresso Translations, a global professional translation agency based in London and Milan.

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