Setting Up Multilingual Websites
Expanding your website to multiple languages improves global reach, enhances user experience, and boosts SEO. Whether using WordPress (WPML, Polylang), Shopify, or Magento, setting up a multilingual website ensures that visitors can access content in their preferred language. This guide covers how to set up multilingual functionality in WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento for better user engagement and international sales.
Why a Multilingual Website Matters
A multilingual website expands your global reach by attracting non-English-speaking customers. It also improves user experience by providing content in visitors' native languages. This enhances SEO efforts by helping your website rank higher in local search engines, which in turn increases conversions, as customers are more likely to make purchases in their native language. Additionally, offering content in multiple languages enhances brand trust, making your website more accessible and credible to diverse audiences.
Suggestion: Translate important pages first, including the Homepage, Products, Checkout, and Contact.
Choosing a Multilingual CMS Solution
Manual vs. Automatic Translation
Manual translation provides accurate, context-aware translations but requires more time and effort. Automatic translation tools, such as Google Translate, use AI to translate content quickly but may require corrections for accuracy. A hybrid approach combines automatic translation with manual adjustments to ensure better quality.
URL Structure for Multilingual SEO
For SEO purposes, you can use subdirectories like example.com/fr/ for language-specific content, which is effective for SEO and management. Subdomains like fr.example.com are useful for region-specific content, while country-specific domains like example.fr offer localized branding but can be expensive.
Suggestion: Use hreflang tags to inform search engines about language variations on your website.
Setting Up a Multilingual Website in WordPress (WooCommerce)
Using WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin)
To set up multilingual functionality using WPML, install the WPML Plugin from Plugins > Add New. After installation, navigate to WPML > Languages to select your primary and secondary languages. You can enable either manual or automatic translation and test the translations once changes are saved.
Using Polylang (Free Alternative)
Polylang is a free alternative to WPML. After installing the Polylang Plugin, go to Languages > Add New Language and assign content to different languages. Enable a language switcher widget to allow users to select their preferred language.
Translating WooCommerce Products
To translate WooCommerce products, install the WooCommerce Multilingual plugin alongside WPML. Navigate to Products > All Products, click Translate, and create language variations for each product. Sync product details, prices, and variations accordingly.
Suggestion: Enable currency conversion for global customers to enhance their shopping experience.
Setting Up a Multilingual Website in Shopify
Using Shopify’s Native Multilingual Feature
Shopify provides native multilingual support. To enable it, go to Settings > Languages, add a new language, and publish it. Use Shopify’s Translate & Adapt tool to handle translations and enable automatic translation for store content.
Using Third-Party Shopify Apps
You can also use third-party apps such as Langify for SEO-friendly manual translations, Weglot for AI-powered translations with automatic updates, and GTranslate for Google Translate-based translations.
Translating Shopify Products & Checkout
To translate product descriptions, go to Products > Edit Product, click Translate, and add multilingual content. You can also enable localized checkout pages and email notifications for different languages.
Suggestion: Shopify allows multiple languages but not multiple currencies in one store unless using Shopify Plus.
Setting Up a Multilingual Website in Magento
Adding Multiple Languages in Magento
Navigate to Stores > Configuration > General > Locale Options to add new languages. Select the desired language, save the changes, and clear the cache to apply the settings.
Setting Up Language Packs
Install Magento language packs through Composer by running the command composer require language-pack/es_ES for Spanish. Enable the new languages in Stores > Configuration and set different store views for each language. Don’t forget to translate CMS pages, product descriptions, and the checkout flow.
Using Magento Translation Extensions
Extensions like Weglot offer AI-powered automatic translations, while Mageplaza Language Translator and Google Translate API provide options for custom manual translations.
Suggestion: Magento supports multi-store functionality, allowing different versions of the website for various languages and currencies.
Multilingual SEO Best Practices
To enhance your multilingual website's SEO, use hreflang tags to inform Google about language variations. Optimize meta titles and descriptions to ensure translated content remains SEO-friendly. Create unique URLs for each language to avoid duplicate content issues and enable language auto-detection to redirect users based on browser settings. Localizing images and media, such as banners and product descriptions, also improves the experience for global visitors.
Suggestion: Use Google Search Console to submit sitemaps for each language version of your website.
Best Practices for a Multilingual CMS
Choosing the right plugin or app is crucial. WPML is ideal for WordPress, Langify is recommended for Shopify, and Magento language packs work well for Magento sites. Enabling a language switcher helps users select their preferred language easily. Offering currency conversion ensures customers can view prices in their local currency. To avoid errors, ensure consistent and accurate translations across all pages. It's also important to manually verify page layouts and translations to ensure a smooth user experience.
Suggestion: Provide localized customer support in multiple languages, such as through chat, email, or phone, to enhance customer service.
Summary: Setting Up a Multilingual CMS
WordPress (WooCommerce): Use WPML or Polylang for translations, enable WooCommerce Multilingual for product translation, and set up currency switching for international customers.
Shopify: Take advantage of Shopify’s built-in translation feature, install Langify or Weglot for advanced translations, and ensure products, checkout, and notifications are translated.
Magento: Enable multi-language store views, install language packs via Composer, and use third-party translation extensions for additional customization.
Best Practices: Implement hreflang tags for SEO, optimize translated URLs and meta descriptions, enable automated language redirection, and offer localized pricing and support.
Last updated
Was this helpful?