Creating a multilingual WordPress site can significantly expand your audience by making your content accessible to users around the globe in their native languages. Two of the most popular plugins for this purpose are Polylang and WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin). Both plugins offer robust solutions to make your website multilingual, but they differ in terms of features, ease of use, and cost. This article will guide you through choosing between Polylang and WPML and outline the steps to set up your multilingual site effectively.
Choosing Between Polylang and WPML
When deciding between Polylang and WPML, it’s important to consider your specific needs and resources. Polylang is a free plugin with a pro version available, making it ideal for personal blogs or small businesses looking to explore multilingual options without a significant initial investment. It’s relatively easy to use and integrates well with WordPress, supporting as many languages as you need. However, it lacks some advanced features such as e-commerce integration which is available in its pro version or through additional plugins.
WPML, on the other hand, is a premium plugin that supports a wide range of advanced features right out of the box, including full e-commerce support, the ability to translate widgets, SEO features, and compatibility with most WordPress themes and plugins. It is highly robust and suitable for larger sites or businesses that need a comprehensive multilingual solution with support and regular updates. WPML is also known for its professional support team, which can be a deciding factor for businesses needing immediate help in case of issues.
Your choice between Polylang and WPML should ultimately depend on your site’s size, budget, and specific requirements. While Polylang might suffice for basic multilingual needs and smaller sites, WPML would be preferable for enterprises or websites that require extensive multilingual capabilities and technical support.
Setting Up Your Multilingual Site
Once you’ve chosen your multilingual plugin, the first step in setting up your site is to install and activate the plugin. For Polylang, you can download it from the WordPress plugin repository and activate it, while WPML can be purchased from their official website, downloaded, and then activated. After activation, both plugins will prompt you to add languages to your site. This is where you decide which languages you want your content to be available in.
The next step is to configure language settings. Polylang allows you to set language by content or by using language switcher widgets in your navigation menu. WPML offers a setup wizard that guides you through the process of adding languages, and then setting up language switchers. WPML also lets you assign different language contents to different domains or subdomains, which can be beneficial for SEO purposes.
Finally, you need to translate your content. Both plugins do not automatically translate your content but provide interfaces to add translations manually or you can integrate them with automatic translation services. For Polylang, you need to create a new post or page for each language, while WPML allows for direct translation within the original post editor, simplifying the workflow significantly. Remember, maintaining a consistent and professional translation quality is key to the success of your multilingual site.
Setting up a multilingual WordPress site opens up your content to a global audience and can greatly enhance user engagement and satisfaction. Whether you choose Polylang for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness or WPML for its comprehensive features and robust support, both plugins are capable of transforming your site to cater to diverse audiences. By carefully following the setup steps and ensuring high-quality translations, your multilingual site will be well-positioned to succeed in a global marketplace.
