Migrating any website in itself is no walk in the park. However, correctly handling complex multi-language website migrations can be even trickier. To help with this, lots of plugins have been created over time to ease the transition.
If properly utilized, these plugins can help you save time and precious resources. This article explores some of these plugins in more detail and also dives into some of the benefits they offer all serious web owners.
Migrating A Multi-Language Website
The primary thing to keep in mind when migrating a multi-language website is to seriously consider the long term implications of your software choices. When analyzing SaaS solutions, one might find that they go hand in hand with lower fixed costs and are initially easy to implement. Some of them also provide out of the box translation services or offer to integrate with translation service providers at no extra charge.
However, many people that choose SaaS solutions often don’t anticipate the costly monthly platform fees or the lack of flexibility when deciding on a translation provider. In essence, what seemed like a good deal, in the beginning, could end up costing a pretty penny.
Furthermore, should the website owner decide to migrate the website away from a SaaS solution, the complexity and costliness of content migration could prove problematic.
Solutions based on WordPress Multisite and WPML are great alternatives to SaaS translation platforms. These solutions require lower total costs and give the website owner greater flexibility over translated content.
Using Plugins For Multi-Language Website Migrations
When using plugins for multi-language website migrations, not only will you get a new and improved infrastructure for translating content, but you will also be able to manage and customize your translations in real-time.
The following plugins are high on our list when it comes to aiding website owners with multi-language website migrations.
TranslatePress
TranslatePress is really easy to use and supports up to 221 languages. Once you have installed the plugin, you can select the secondary languages that you would like to translate your website to. The great thing about TranslatePress is that it enables you to translate your website visually exactly as it looks in the front-end in the original language.
If you want to save time, you can enable automatic translation, which translates your website instantly with Google Translate or DeepL. This mode also enables you to refine translations manually afterward to perfect each translation.
This plugin is GPL and self-hosted. If you buy the annual license you will have access to updates, new features, and support. If you decide to discontinue buying the license, your website will still function as expected.
WPML
WPML allows the user to translate posts, pages, taxonomy, custom types, menus, and theme text. The great thing about this plugin is that it supports every theme or plugin that uses the WordPress API. Essentially, this means that you can even translate texts within other plugins or themes activated on your website.
WPML was designed with search engine optimization in mind. This means that it allows you to fully optimize your website for SEO – no matter the language in question. In more practical terms, this means that you have full control over your URLs and your meta information.
With WPML, you give search engines the keys to understanding your website’s structure, which helps to lead online visitors to the right translation.
Polylang
What makes this plugin unique is that it doesn’t rely on shortcodes. This means that you can safely uninstall it without it interfering with your website’s performance. Polylang actually only uses WordPress’s built-in core features. This way, it also doesn’t use up a lot of memory and is completely compatible with most cache plugins.
It also allows you to translate content with next to no extra effort on your part. This plugin smoothly integrates into the WordPress admin interface, enabling you to access it without changing your habits. It also allows for content duplication integration across multiple languages to ensure efficient workflow.
Weglot
Weglot gives you access to an in-context editor that translates your website’s content directly inside the design and structure of your website. This allows for easy viewing of the final pages.
Additionally, you won’t have to start from the very beginning as the first layer of automatic translation will be brought about by some of the best learning providers on the market. Afterward, you will be able to go in and edit as needed.
Apart from this, Weglot also offers vetted professional translators that you can order directly from inside the Weglot dashboard.
In a Nutshell
Properly handling multi-language website migrations doesn’t have to be hard. If you invest in the right plugin, you will be able to translate your content into any language without having to pay high monthly fees.
If you need any help with your multi-language website migration, do not hesitate to contact us at WordHerd.