Creating a multilingual website is a big step. It helps you reach more people and grow. But how do you start? Use the right tools and plans. This post will guide you on using WPML to build a multilingual site.
A multilingual website is key today. It removes language barriers and improves user experience. It also helps with SEO. Think about reaching millions of new visitors. The gains are big. WPML makes it simple and easy.
Now, let’s talk about WPML.
It’s the top multilingual plugin for WordPress. WPML has helped over 1 million sites translate their content. It offers both machine and human translation. It also works with most WordPress themes and plugins.
Ready to start? Let’s see how WPML can translate your WordPress site.
Features of WPML Plugin
WPML plugin has many features to help you create and manage multilingual websites. Here are some key features:
1. Multiple Languages: Use one WordPress installation to run a multilingual website. Choose from 65 languages or add your own language variants.
2. Flexible Translation: Use automatic translation for speed or human translation for quality. Control what and how you translate.
3. Multilingual E-Commerce: Build multilingual and multicurrency e-commerce sites with WooCommerce. Enjoy complete support for products, sales, and localized purchase processes
4. String Translation: Translate texts in other plugins and admin screens directly from WPML’s String Translation interface.
5. Multilingual SEO: Optimize your site for searches in different languages. Translate page slugs, SEO meta, and titles. Integrates with popular SEO plugins.
6. Compatibility: Works with almost any WordPress theme and plugin. Check the directories of compatible plugins and themes.
7. Performance and Security: WPML’s modular design ensures great performance and security. Ready ahead of any WordPress release.
8. Reliable Support: Get support 6 days a week, 19 hours a day, in 9 languages. Proactive development ensures smooth operation and compatibility.
System Requirements of WPML
To use WPML, your site needs to meet some basic requirements:
- WordPress Version: Your site should run on WordPress 4.7 or higher.
- PHP Version: You need PHP 7.0 or above.
- Database: Your site should use MySQL 5.6 or above or MariaDB 10.1 or greater.
- Memory Limit: Your WordPress memory limit should be at least 128MB. For better performance, 256MB is recommended.
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Cloudways offers PHP 8 and MySQL/MariaDB 10—ensuring your multilingual site runs faster and smoother.
Installing and Configuring WPML
WPML is a premium plugin, so you first need to purchase a plan before you can use it.
For most websites, WPML’s Multilingual CMS plan is sufficient; it covers all features, lets you add an unlimited number of languages to your site, includes the Google Translate integration, and only costs €99 per year.
Once you purchase a plan, download WPML from your account and upload it to your website via Plugins → Add New Plugin.
Next, click Activate to enable WPML on your site, and then the Configure WPML button.
This will open a short setup wizard where you can choose which languages to add, how to format translated URLs, and the option to add team members.
During step 6, make sure the WPML String Translation add-on is selected – you’ll need it to translate specific parts of your website.
Once you reach the last step, click the Go to Translation Dashboard button to start translating your website.
Selecting a Translation Engine
WPML supports four translation engines: Google Translate, DeepL, Microsoft Translator, and WPML AI.
To select Google Translate as your engine, go to WPML → Settings, and under the Automatic translation section, place Google at the top.
This will ensure that WPML uses Google Translate when you send content for translation.
Translating Website Content
To translate any content with WPML, follow these steps:
1. Go to WPML → Translation Management.
2. Select the content you want to translate.
3. Choose Translate automatically for the language you want to translate into.
4. Select whether you want to review completed translations and click Translate.
While Google Translate has excellent translations, we recommend doing a quick review when translating important pages – like your homepage.
Reviewing the Translations
Once WPML finishes translating your content, you can review translations by going to WPML → Translations and clicking Review on a translation job.
This will open the front-end editor, where you can preview translations as they appear on your website before publishing them.
If you’re satisfied with the quality, click Publish Translations to display them on your site.
If you want to make changes to your translations, click Edit Translation. This will open WPML’s Advanced Translation Editor, where you can make any necessary changes to your translations.
When done editing, click the Complete Translation button to publish your changes.
You can now view your translations when visiting your website on the front-end. Remember to change languages using the switcher in your footer to view translations.
Translating the Strings
Strings are pieces of text that don’t translate when sending pages, posts, or other content from plugins for translation. In our example, the Hire Me button at the top of the homepage is a string.
To translate strings, go to WPML → Translation Management and scroll down to the Other texts (Strings) section. Search for the untranslated strings on your website, select them, and send them for translation using the same steps previously covered.
Pricing Plans of WPML
WPML has three pricing plans. All plans include one year of support and updates and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
– Pricing Plans of WPML / Image Source: WPML
1. Multilingual Blog
The Multilingual Blog plan costs €39 per year and is ideal for simple multilingual blogs. It includes basic translation tools and supports one live site and three test sites.
2. Multilingual CMS
The Multilingual CMS plan costs €99 per year and is best for more complex sites. It includes all features of the Blog plan, plus advanced translation tools, 90,000 auto-translation credits, string translation, translation management, page builder support, menu translation, e-commerce support, full site editing, and integration with translation services. It supports three live sites and nine test sites.
3. Multilingual Agency
The Multilingual Agency plan costs €199 per year and is perfect for agencies managing many sites. It includes all CMS plan features, adds 180,000 auto-translation credits, and supports unlimited live and test sites.
Summary
With WPML, translating your WordPress website is easy and efficient; you can automatically translate content with top translation engines like Google Translate, review translations before publishing them, and manage all your site’s translations from a single dashboard.
If you don’t yet have a WordPress website, learn how Cloudways can help you build a fast website that is fully compatible with WPML.
Q1: What is WPML, and why should I use it for my multilingual website?
A1: WPML is a popular WordPress plugin for creating multilingual sites. It helps you translate content easily, improves SEO, and works with most themes and plugins. It’s perfect for reaching a global audience.
Q2: How do I set up WPML on my WordPress site?
A2: Setting up WPML is simple. Install the plugin, choose your languages, and configure the settings. Follow our step-by-step guide to get started quickly.
Q3: Can WPML translate my content automatically?
A3: Yes, WPML offers both automatic and professional translation options. You can use machine translation for quick results or hire professionals for high-quality translations.
Q4: Does WPML work with e-commerce and page builders?
A4: Yes, WPML supports e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce and popular page builders like Elementor. It ensures your entire site, including product pages and designs, is multilingual.
Q5: How does a multilingual website improve SEO?
A5: A multilingual website helps you rank in different languages, reaching more users. WPML ensures proper hreflang tags and language-specific URLs, boosting your global SEO efforts.
Mansoor Ahmed Khan
Been in content marketing since 2014, and I still get a kick out of creating stories that resonate with the target audience and drive results. At Cloudways by DigitalOcean (a leading cloud hosting company, btw!), I lead a dream team of content creators. Together, we brainstorm, write, and churn out awesome content across all the channels: blogs, social media, emails, you name it! You can reach out to me at [email protected].
