How to make bi-lingual website in WordPress

Translations of content is not a function of the content management system (CMS).  Neither Joomla nor WordPress will translate your content.  However, there are third-party extensions, modules, plug-ins, and add-ons for both Joomla and WordPress that will facilitate multi-language content management or automatic translation.

Automatic translation is the most cost-effective way to do it but there are flaws.  Not everything can be effectively translated by machine.  But, you don’t have to worry about manually or physically translating or maintaining multiple versions of the same piece of content.  If you create an about page or mission page and use Google translation, for example, then it will automatically translate that page.  If you need to make a change to that page, you make that change once and it gets automatically translated.  Bing also has a translator.

Manual translation takes more effort but usually provides a better translation in the native dialect.  There are some ways you might say something in English that simply don’t translate in Spanish or Chinese, for example. You need to say it in another way and only a native speaker can effectively make that translation.  The problem is that it takes quite a bit of interpretation and time.  For every page of content that is in English, somebody needs to read, interpret the meaning, translate in a meaningful way, and then publish that content in the second language.  Also, you need to proof-read it twice – first in the original version and second in the translated version to ensure that no mistakes were made in the translation.  Also, if you make a change or update in the original version, you have to manually make that change in the translated version.  It becomes very time intensive.  But, if an accurate translation in the local dialect is important, then you need to do it.

We can detect the preferred language of the web visitor before they get to your website and automatically deliver them their preferred language.  We created a citizen engagement app for South America.  If your browser indicates that you are a Spanish speaker, then it gives you the Spanish version.  If your browser detects that you are an English speaker, then it gives you the English version.

In WordPress, there are modules and plug-ins to facilitate multi-lingual websites, for example:

We can install WordPress for you, customize a WordPress theme and brand it after your corporate identity and style guide, install and configure the multi-lingual functionality, help you define the information architecture and navigation system based on the needs of your target audience, upload the primary content of the site, upload a sample of the blogs and news and PDFs, and train you how to maintain and manage the website and the rest of the content by yourself.  We can also help you search engine optimize the site so it ranks higher on Google.  If making the website accessible to people on smart phones (Android, iPhone, etc.) is important to you, then we can make that happen as well.


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