The wide reach of the internet has made it easier than ever for people to join their interest groups, surpassing geographical limitations.
That’s excellent news as a membership website owner. After all, this increases the potential number of members your website can have exponentially. On the other hand, it also puts the onus on you as the website owner to ensure that your membership website is available to those potential members in their language.
This post will cover how you can do just that using a multilingual WordPress plugin.
What is a Multilingual WordPress Plugin?
WordPress does not have translation capabilities built-in by default. Unless you plan on manually translating all the content, lessons, and pages you publish, using a multilingual WordPress plugin will be the quickest (and easiest) way to do the job.
While translators might be able to achieve a higher quality overall, they will also be very costly and time-consuming. If you want your WordPress membership website to be translated into multiple languages automatically, a multilingual WordPress plugin can do that with the minimum time and resources required.
Why Is It Important To Have a Multilingual Solution For Your WordPress Membership Website?
Apart from the obvious benefits of getting access to additional markets, having a multilingual solution for your WordPress membership website can benefit you and your members.
SEO
Google’s bots treat additional languages as separate content. This means that when they crawl your website to index the content, each language in your content is available will act as a content multiplier. That way, your content will also be indexed for ranking in those additional languages, increasing the chance of your site and content being delivered to a visitor with that language set as their default.
UX Improvements
User experience is a big part of most metrics you want to improve. Increasing visitor retention time and conversion rates while simultaneously reducing bounce rates can be achieved by providing visitors with a great user experience. When your membership website is available in a user’s native language, you automatically elevate the user experience significantly, given that the translations are of adequate quality.
Credibility
Having your membership website available in multiple languages makes your website appear multi-national and delivers an aura of authenticity. It also shows that you have considered and cared for the fact that your visitors and members speak different languages, and you, as a business, are taking steps to cater to that.
Not only are all these advantages for your business growth, but it is also not needlessly complicated to implement. On the contrary, it’s a relatively simple task relative to the vast reward potential they offer.
So, to reap these benefits, let’s go over how you can translate your membership website content into multiple languages.
Best Multilingual Plugin Solutions for a WordPress Membership Website
As mentioned previously, the easiest and most efficient way of translating your WordPress membership website is going to be by using a plugin. However, there are dozens of options to choose from, and it can get a little tricky to pick the right one for your needs.
For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of the best multilingual solutions for a WordPress membership website and highlighted their standout features.
TranslatePress
TranslatePress is a plugin that lets you translate your entire website in a few minutes. It is compatible with a large number of site builders and themes. This plugin lets you translate your website without having to dig into back-end stuff, making it very beginner-friendly.
Key Features:
- Easy to set up and use.
- Automatic translation features.
- Visual front-end translations.
- Technical help and support.
- SEO friendly.
- Ability to make manual improvements and edits.
- Image translation.
- Automatic user language detection.
TranslatePress starts at $7.99 per month, and you can see additional pricing plans here. Another good thing to know about the plugin is that even after your license expires, your site will continue to function as usual, and you will retain complete ownership of all your translations.
WPML
The WordPress Multilingual Plugin, or WPML, is just as on-point with its functionality as it is with its name. A complete all-in-one solution for your WordPress membership website, this plugin can cater to sites that are just starting as well as corporate behemoths.
Key Features:
- Complete all-in-one translation solution.
- Highly compatible with other WordPress tools and themes.
- Updates get tested for compatibility before launch.
- Option for integrated professional translation service.
- Translation memory and glossary.
- Options for human and automatic translations.
- SEO friendly.
- Translation editing and management features.
For a CMS license, WPML will cost you $99. They also offer other pricing plans for blogs and agencies.
Polylang
Polylang lets you translate your pages, posts, media, tags, categories, widgets, menus, and URLs. It integrates directly into your WordPress admin panel. It uses core built-in WordPress features (taxonomies), which make it highly efficient in performance, and you won’t have to worry about the translations slowing down your site in any way. Over 700,000 users that are using Polylang as their WordPress multilingual solution are a testament to that.
Key Features:
- Lightweight and efficient plugin.
- SEO optimized.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Extensive documentation.
- The support team for technical queries.
- Compatible with popular WordPress SEO plugins.
Polylang’s base version is entirely free of charge to use. Polylang Pro starts at $99, and you can view additional pricing plans here.
Weglot
If you’re looking for a complete and comprehensive tool for your WordPress membership website, then Weglot is a great pick. It is the WordPress multilingual solution of choice for big-name brands such as Stratus and IBM. With world-class customer support and the ability to get set up and running in minutes, Weglot is one of the best multilingual plugins on this list.
Key Features:
- No code is required for setup.
- Compatible with every WordPress theme out of the box.
- Simple translation interface.
- Automatic content detection and translation.
- SEO optimized.
- Translation of SEO metadata and tags.
- Auto-detection and redirection based on visitor default language.
Weglot starts at 15€, and prices in USD will be subject to currency exchange rates. You can view additional price plans and also check out the free trial using this link.
MultilingualPress
This entry on our list uses a different approach to tackle the translation challenge. To maximize performance and resource efficiency, MultilingualPress uses the WordPress core multisite functionality to implement translations. Due to that, there is only ever one language loading per site. Additionally, that means no changes are made to the WordPress core, so there won’t be a chance of an update to your site’s WordPress version or a plugin breaking the site.
Key Features:
- No lock-in – you can export all your translations out of the tool.
- Top-notch plugin performance.
- Custom post-translation support.
- Language switcher with country flags.
- Automatic language detection.
- New site for each language.
- Support for custom functionality.
MutilingualPress starts at $99 per year, which gives you support for up to 3 languages. You can see additional pricing plans using this link.
WPGlobus
WPGlobus is a powerful WordPress multilingual plugin that you can customize based on your requirements. The core plugin is the foundation for other add-ons in the WPGlobus family. These add-ons extend the functionality and features that you can avail of, such as building a store, different site menus for different languages, and localizing page URLs.
Key Features:
- Options for custom solutions.
- Payments are based on site requirements.
- Large compatibility list with other WordPress themes and plugins.
- Options for partial menus for different languages.
- User-friendly administrator interface.
WPGlobus offers the core functionality for free. You can customize your plan based on your requirements by visiting this link.
Loco Translate
Loco Translate is a free WordPress plugin by Loco with premium add-ons for more features. This plugin integrates with translation APIs, including Google and Microsoft, and lets you directly create and update the language files in your theme or plugins. While the technical depth required to use this powerful plugin entirely may dissuade the non-technically savvy, the in-depth feature set is worth a try if you have the aptitude.
Key Features:
- Translation editor in the WordPress admin panel.
- Ability to extract translatable strings directly from source code.
- Ability to compile MO files without Gettext on your system.
- Ability to Configure PO file backups.
- Integration with automatic translation services.
- Extensive documentation and support forum.
The base plugin is free and can be used for up to 2000 translations. When you want to take things up a notch, the premium plans start at $5.95 a month. You can see more info on pricing here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a WordPress membership website?
A: A WordPress membership website is a website that requires users to register and log in to access exclusive content, such as articles, courses, or forums. It allows users to connect and participate in discussion forums or groups.
Q: Why should I have a multilingual WordPress membership website?
A: A multilingual WordPress membership website can help expand your audience and increase engagement among non-native speakers. It can also make your content accessible to more users and improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
Q: What is a multilingual website, and how does it work on WordPress?
A: A multilingual website is a website that is available in multiple languages. On WordPress, several plugins can help create a multilingual site by allowing you to translate content into different languages and display it to users based on their preferred language.
Q: What are the best WordPress multilingual plugins?
A: Some of the best WordPress multilingual plugins include TranslatePress, WPML, Polylang, and Weglot. These plugins have features such as translation management, manual and machine translation options, and the ability to create language-specific content.
Q: What is the best translation plugin for WordPress?
A: The best translation plugin for WordPress depends on your specific needs and preferences. Some of the most popular options include TranslatePress, WPML, and Polylang.
Q: Can I create a multilingual WordPress site for free?
A: Yes, some multilingual plugins for WordPress offer a free version with limited features. However, you may need to purchase a premium version or subscription if you want more advanced features and customization options.
Q: How can I ensure the quality of translations on my multilingual WordPress site?
A: The best way to ensure the quality of translations on your multilingual WordPress site is to combine machine translation and professional translators. Some plugins offer integration with professional translation services, or you can hire a translator directly.
Q: What are some best practices for creating a multilingual WordPress site?
A: Some best practices for creating a multilingual WordPress site include choosing the right plugins, creating language-specific content, optimizing for multilingual SEO, and testing your site thoroughly for any issues with translations or functionality.
Q: Is using machine or manual translation for my multilingual WordPress site better?
A: It depends on your resources and goals. Machine translation can be faster and more cost-effective but may not always be accurate. Manual translation can ensure higher quality translations but can be more time-consuming and expensive.
Q: How can I manage the translation process on my multilingual WordPress site?
A: Many multilingual plugins for WordPress offer a translation management interface where you can track the progress of translations, assign translation tasks, and communicate with translators. You can also use project management tools like Trello or Asana to manage the translation process.
Conclusion
Having your WordPress membership website in multiple languages can open your business to new markets and improve your brand’s conversion rates, SEO, and credibility. Making your website multilingual using any of the plugins mentioned in the list is incredibly easy, and it can greatly impact business growth and outreach.
Do you have any experience with multilingual plugins for WordPress membership sites? Let us know in the comments section below!
