How to Create a Multilingual WordPress Website? (2 Methods)

Most businesses want to go global. But if your website is a single-language one, you might face some issues. This is because monolingual websites have less engagement and lower conversion rates. Visitors often leave when content isn’t in their language. This increases bounce rates.

Search engines also favor multilingual sites. They rank them higher for local searches. Businesses without localization lose potential traffic. Creating a multilingual WordPress site is manageable with the right tools. Plugins or manual methods enable effective content translation.

In this blog, we will show two ways to make a multilingual WordPress website: with plugins and without plugins. We’ll look at the top plugins professional WordPress services use. First, let’s understand what a multilingual website is.

What is a Multilingual WordPress Website?

A multilingual WordPress site provides various language options for its website content. The users would be allowed to toggle between different language versions according to their preferences. Instead of sticking to one language, the site offers translated versions of pages, posts, and menus.

Key Features of a Multilingual Website

A website with multiple language option will have the following features:

• Language Selection: In order to select their preferred language, users can manually select the desired language using flags, dropdown menu, or automatic language detection.
• Translated Content: Users can get content translated into various languages for posts, pages, menus, widgets, and even URLs.
• SEO: The correct implementation of hreflang tags and multilingual SEO strategies also helps with website placements in search results for different languages.
• Automatic or Manual Translations: Some websites play it safe using manual translators for accuracy while others opt for AI-powered software like Google Translate or multilingual support plugins. 
• Localized User Experience: Brands that avail of translation will adjust cultural features, dates, numbers to correspond to the selected language.

Now you know what a multilingual WordPress site is. Next, we’ll show how to build one using plugins.

Method 1: How to Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using Plugin?

Creating a multilingual website in WordPress is vital to reach out to a larger audience and provide a larger experience for users. And plugins help to do this in the simplest way possible so that you can keep track of every translation. Following are guides to setting up a multilingual site with three popular plugins.

1. Using TranslatePress Plugin

TranslatePress is a WordPress plugin that simplifies translations. You can edit content directly on your live site – just click any element to translate it. It offers both manual translations for precise control and automatic options for quicker results. The live preview lets you see changes instantly as you work. It’s one of the easiest ways to make a multilingual WordPress site.

Step 1: Go to your WordPress dashboard. There, you need to go to Plugins and then click Add New, and search for TranslatePress.

Step 2: For installing a plugin, you simply need to click Install Now next to TranslatePress and then activate it.

Step 3: Now go to the setting of that plugin by clicking Settings > TranslatePress.

Step 4: In the General tab, you can set your site’s default language. You can also add the desired translation languages.

Step 5: For starting the translation process, Click on Translate Site in the plugin settings or use the Translate Site button in the top admin bar. It will open a live editor wherein you can click on any text to translate it.

Step 6: Now you have to configure the language switcher. Go to Appearance > Menu and add the “Language Switcher” widget to your desired widget area.

Ideal For: Users who prefer that content is visually represented and they want an easy installation process.

2. Using Polylang Plugin

Polylang, a free plugin, lets you build any kind of WordPress site, weakly or strongly bilingual or multilingual. It supports manual translations and also is SEO-friendly.

Step 1: In the WordPress backend, find the page where you go to Plugins > Add New and enter the word Polylang in the search box.

Step 2: Click Install Now next to Polylang, then activate the plugin.

Step 3: After activation, you’ll be prompted to configure the plugin. Start by adding the languages you want to support under Languages > Languages.

Step 4: Set a default language and add additional languages as needed.

Step 5: Translate your existing content by editing each post or page and assigning the appropriate language. Use the “+” icon to add translations for other languages.

Step 6: To add a language switcher, go to Appearance > Widgets and drag the “Language Switcher” widget to your desired widget area.

Ideal For: Users who prefer a free solution with manual translation capabilities and integration with existing WordPress features.

3. Using Weglot Plugin

Weglot is a translation plugin. It works in the cloud. The plugin translates your website automatically. It can create multiple language versions. Setup is seamless. It works with 110+ languages.

Step 1: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.

Step 2: Search for Weglot and click Install Now, then Activate.

Step 3: After activation, navigate to the Weglot settings page.

Step 4: Enter your Weglot API key. You can obtain this by register on the Weglot website.

Step 5: Set your original website language and choose the destination languages you want to add.

Step 6: Configure the appearance and position of the language switcher in the settings.

Step 7: Save your changes. Weglot will automatically translate your site into the selected languages.

Ideal For: Users tend to want an automatic translation system that needs low setup and maintenance.

These plugins serve the purpose of providing a different platform to create a multilingual WordPress site. Pick the one that fits your needs with respect to ease-of-use, translation-process, and budget. When creating a multilingual site becomes difficult for you, reach us for consultation from our WordPress development company.

Method 2: How to Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Without Plugin?

Building a WordPress multilingual site without plugins involves setting up several individual websites for each language. This approach gives you more control over content and designs for each language. Here is an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to doing it:

1. Set Up a WordPress Multisite Network

The WordPress multisite feature allows you to run more than one website on one WordPress page.

Step 1: Before making significant changes, ensure you backup your WordPress site.

Step 2: Access your site’s files via FTP or your hosting control panel.

Step 3: Open the wp-config.php file and add the following line above the “That’s all, stop editing!” comment:

define('WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true);

Step 4: Temporarily deactivate all active plugins to prevent conflicts during the setup process.

Step 5: In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Tools > Network Setup.

Step 6: Decide whether to use subdomains (e.g., fr.example.com) or subdirectories (e.g., example.com/fr) for your multilingual sites.

Step 7: Click the Install button. WordPress will provide code snippets to add to your wp-config.php and .htaccess files.

Step 8: Add the provided code to your wp-config.php and .htaccess files as instructed.Step 9: After updating the files, log back into your WordPress dashboard.

2. Create Separate Sites for Each Language

Having WordPress Multisite enabled will enable you to create individual sites for each language.

Step 1: In the top admin bar, hover over My Sites and click Network Admin, then Sites.

Step 2: Click the Add New button.

Step 3: Enter the site’s address (corresponding to the chosen language), title, and admin email. For example, for a French version, you might use:

• Site Address: fr (if using subdirectories) or fr.example.com (if using subdomains)
• Site Title: Example Site (French)
• Admin Email: [email protected]

Step 4: Click Add Site to finalize the creation.

Step 5: Repeat the process for each additional language you want to support.

3. Configure Each Site for Its Language

After setting up Multisite, create individual sites for each language.

Step 1: In the Network Admin dashboard, go to Sites, hover over the desired site, and click Dashboard.

Step 2: Navigate to Settings > General. In the Site Language dropdown, select the language for this site (e.g., French for the French site).

Step 3: Click Save Changes to apply the new language setting.

4. Add Translated Content

Manually add content in the respective language for each site.

Step 1: In each site’s dashboard, create pages and posts in the respective language.

Step 2: Ensure that the structure and content align across different language sites for a cohesive user experience.

5. Link Between Language Versions

Provide users with a way to switch between language versions.

Step 1: In each site’s dashboard, go to Appearance > Menus and add links to the other language sites.

Step 2: Label menu items with the language name or flag for clarity.

Step 3: Alternatively, use text widgets to add language links in the sidebar or footer.

6. Customize Themes and Plugins for Each Site

Customize the appearance and functionality of each site as needed.

Step 1: In each site’s dashboard, go to Appearance > Themes and activate the desired theme.

Step 2: Navigate to Plugins > Add New to install and activate plugins specific to each site’s language requirements.

These are the steps by which you can make a multilingual WordPress site without even using plugins. This technique works well for advanced users that know WordPress development quite well. This method actually puts you in total control of creating a multilingual website in WordPress.

Best WordPress Multilingual Plugins

To reach a global audience and maintain a better user experience, creating a multilingual WordPress site is a must. Below are top WordPress multilingual plugins worth considering:

1. TranslatePress

TranslatePress is a WordPress translation plugin. It’s easy to use. You can translate your entire site. Translations happen directly on the front end. It offers both manual and automatic options. This makes the plugin powerful yet user-friendly. It’s a great tool for multilingual websites.

Key Features:

• Provides visual front-end translation interface.
• Supports translation for all website content, including posts, pages, and plugins.
• Compatible with WooCommerce for eCommerce websites.
• Supports manual translation or automatic translation via Google Translate or DeepL.

2. Polylang

Polylang is a popular WordPress plugin. It helps create websites in multiple languages. You can make dual-language sites. Or add even more languages. The plugin translates all types of content. This includes posts and pages. It also works for media files. You can translate categories and tags too. It gives you full control. You decide how to manage different languages.

Key Features:

• Manual translation of all site content.
• Supports unlimited languages.
• Compatible with most WordPress themes and plugins.
• Provides a customizable language switcher.

3. Weglot

Weglot is a translation service that is cloud-based, has seamless integration with WordPress, and is one of the fastest ways of translating a website into multiple languages. It does automatic translation with an option for manual editing for speed and accuracy.

Key Features:

• Automatic translation upon setup.
• Supports over 110+ languages.
• Provides a customizable language switcher.
• Access to a centralized dashboard for managing translations.

4. WPML

WPML is a popular WordPress plugin. It helps create multilingual websites. You can manage translations easily. The plugin translates posts and pages. It also handles custom post types. Taxonomies can be translated too. Even menus work with translations. Theme texts are also supported. So, basically, it’s a good solution for a complex website.

Key Features:

• Supports over 65 languages and allows for adding custom languages.
• Compatible with most WordPress themes and plugins.
• Offers a translation management system for assigning translation roles.
• Provides multilingual eCommerce support with WooCommerce integration.

5. GTranslate

GTranslate uses Google translate to automatically translate your WordPress site. If you want to add basic translation features or advanced services such as SEO-friendly URLs and manual correction of translated content, there are free and paid options available.

Key Features:

• Automatic translation using Google Translate.
• Supports over 103 languages.
• Provides a customizable language switcher.
• Allows manual editing of translations (premium version).

Each of these plugins comes with its own set of distinctive features tailored to a range of translation applications. Based on your particular needs, how much control over translation you will require, choose the plugin that best serves your multilingual website aims.

Benefits of Creating a Multilingual WordPress Website

Here are some benefits of creating a multilingual WordPress website for businesses and eCommerce stores that intend to reach out to a global audience.

• Expands Your Audience Reach: Offering content in multiple languages helps more people access your website. It reaches a wider audience. Visitors from different regions can engage with your site. This attracts more traffic from around the world.
• Improves User Experience: Visitors prefer websites in their native language. They feel more comfortable browsing. This leads to better engagement. It reduces bounce rates. Conversion rates also improve.
• Boosts SEO Rankings: Multilingual websites can target specific regions. They focus on different languages. This helps attract local visitors. Using regional keywords boosts organic traffic.
• Enhances Brand Credibility and Trust: Offering content in multiple languages shows professionalism. It demonstrates consideration for visitors. This builds trust in your brand. It makes your business more appealing globally.
• Increases Sales and Conversions: Multilingual content helps eCommerce sites. It also benefits service websites. Customers understand products better. They grasp services more easily. This leads to more sales. Conversion rates improve too.
• Gains Competitive Advantage: A multilingual website helps companies compete better. It gives an advantage over single-language competitors. Businesses gain more favor in global markets. They appeal to international customers more effectively.
• Improves Customer Support: Offering FAQs in multiple languages helps. So do multilingual guides. Support pages in different languages work too. These reduce customer questions. They also improve satisfaction levels.

Creating a multilingual website in WordPress opens new opportunities for growth, visibility, and engagement on a global scale.

FAQs About Creating Multilingual Website in WordPress

Wrapping Up

A multilingual site provides content and hence accessibility to a wider audience, which in turn earns user engagement and global reach. There are many plugins available in WordPress to create multilingual websites, such as TranslatePress, WPML, and Polylang. Alternatively, a manual method to create a multilingual site works for full control of the customization required. 

Which approach you take depends on several factors, including user-friendliness, translation accuracy, and SEO. Plugins lend themselves to quick setup, often providing automated translations with a user-friendly interface. However, manual setup allows full control over content and localization.

If you are looking to build a multilingual WordPress website that is also optimized and scalable, get in touch with us today!