going global - how to make your wordpress site multilingual

Going global

how to make your WordPress site multilingual

Agenda1. Multilingual website –

why it is worth investing

2. What is a multilingual site and what it is not

3. How to turn your WordPress site into a full multilingual site

4. Tips and hints

About me and the companyDenise VanDeCruze

WPML Support Team

Experience

● WP freelancer

● Entrepreneur

● Software Engineer

OnTheGoSystems

● WPML● Toolset

plugins● iCanLocalize

Languages on the Internet

Internet users by language (2011)

source: wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_used_on_the_Internet

Content languages for websites as of 12 March 2014

source: wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_used_on_the_Internet

What is a multilingual site and what is not

source: ms-trade.pl

side by side translation?

gTranlator switcher?

Multilingual InfrastructureSeparate Sites - With Multilingual Plugin

Site B - 2nd Language

Pages

Subpages

- One Independant Site per Language- Links to the homepage of the other language- Double the work- No Relationships between the pages and taxonomy - Hard to keep updated and synchronized

Site A - 1st Language

Multilingual InfrastructureSeparate Sites - No Multilingual Plugin

Site B - 2nd Language

Pages

Subpages

- One Site for both Languages- Relationships between pages in different language- Better for SEO - Relationships between the pages and taxonomy - Easier to keep updated and synchronized

Site A - 1st Language

The benefits of having a multilingual site

For the site owner● more customers● professional image● increase visitors’ trust ● search engine visibility

For the WP developer● eliminate show

stoppers ● increase your range of

services● pass on value added

sites to your clients

How to do it right

Making your WP site a multilingual site

Steps1. choose your solution2. install and configure3. insert the language

switcher4. translate your content5. keep updated

What Google needs

source: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2010/03/working-with-multilingual-websites.html

● One language per page● Cross links between translations● Always use ‘human’ translation● Translations must have their own URLs● Remember to update translations too

Multilingual SEO

Tools- All-in-One SEO- WP SEO (Yoast)

Elements● site title● pages and posts● categories, tags● images, menus● widgets● custom post types● custom fields● theme localization● theme options

Different user roles, different needs

Site visitors● comfortable, please● I’d like to understand

everything

Content editors● quick and easy, please● don’t make me think

WP developers● how quickly?● which elements to

handle?

Google bots● will I recognize the

language?● translated by human?

Teach site owners how to translate

● can you copy from original?

● can you change your admin language?

● can you translate images?

● how about the menu synchronization?

How to easily update translations

● Translation workflow● Automatic notifications● Interface with standard

translation tools

Translators don’t want a huge learning curve.

Choose a multilingual-ready theme

● Check ahead if your theme is compatible with your multilingual plugin

Need multilingual e-Commerce?● the number of WP

eCommerce shops is rapidly growing

● check ahead if your multilingual plugin supports eCommerce

Examples

Examples

Examples

Summing up

● Choose how to go multilingual

● Get a convenient translation workflow

● Optimize for search engines

● Feel free to build e-commerce sites

Quiz and prizes for winners!

● one WPML license

Contact me

● denise.v@icanlocalize.com● Skype: denise.vandecruze