Do you have a website? If so, it’s very likely that you have a plug-in installed to translate a WordPress theme. Or, at the very least, that you’ve been looking for one. And although this is the most comprehensive CMS in the world, the majority of its themes are only available to download in English – meaning that if you have a page in Spanish, this can cause problems that will impact your users or customers. We’ll help you resolve this situation.
What elements do you need to translate on WordPress?
Let’s take a look at the main difficulty:
Content
Naturally, any articles or texts on your site will need to be properly translated. For example, if your page is bilingual, you’ll want to make sure that all content is equally comprehensive and easy to understand in both languages.
Static texts
For example, the box to send an email, the legal notice or any calls to subscribe, etc. There are many fixed elements on your site, sometimes relating to the plug-in you have downloaded. In these cases, the text will be automatically provided in English, and you’ll need to translate it.
The themes installed
Often, the entirety of your site’s design will involve text for users to read. And, as the majority of themes on WordPress are American, these will be in English. This is another element that will need to be translated.
How to translate on WordPress
If you want to know how to translate a WordPress plug-in, you’ll usually end up choosing between one of these four options:
1. Downloading a translation plug-in
This is a simple option, although not always recommended, as it can create text that is not entirely accurate. In any case, Loco Translate is the most popular plug-in for translating WordPress sites among the majority of this CMS’ users.
2. Changing your installation to WordPress Multisite
This means that WordPress itself will accept a bilingual version. This is quite a complex and lengthy process, but can be particularly useful if, for example, you want to break into the international market in the long run. This is the option chosen by many companies.
3. Choosing a multilingual theme
This will save you plenty of time. This way, the theme itself will be able to identify your required language. Logically, if you’re looking for a website in Spanish, this will make it much easier to find or download and use a suitable theme.
4. Using a proxy that translates for you
This can be more complicated, as it requires more time or knowledge. In principle, this works as an intermediary between your site and what your user sees. As such, it can cause delays and even end up becoming counterproductive.
Avoid free machine translation
What kind of problems does machine translation bring? These include:
- Unnatural language: When you download a plug-in to translate a WordPress page, you’ll usually end up with sentences that sound awkward or fake.
- There may be errors: Ambiguities or, quite simply, mistakes can arise when you use automatic programs or systems. And these are things that can still be missed with subsequent revision. As such, you can never be completely at ease.
- You won’t always be in control of the style you put across: This is the most common downside. Managing the tone with which you address visitors to your page is what makes your site interesting. And this requires rather more close supervision – something that translating a WordPress theme with machine translation won’t always offer you.
How much does it cost to translate a WordPress?
Once you start to see for yourself the errors or downsides of machine translation, you might just understand the need to turn to professionals for the translation of your site. How much can this cost you? In short, there is no exact figure. Translation agencies will normally charge for these types of services based on wordcount. And normally, the larger the project, the greater the discount offered.
Request a quote to translate your WordPress
To avoid translation errors or texts that don’t align with the tone or message you want to convey, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can request a quote from us to calculate how much the translation of your WordPress site will cost – offering you a website in two or more languages, all at a native level.
Whether it’s an e-commerce site or a busy information portal with a wide audience, this option can be a great choice – helping you to grow, increase page views and generate trust within your audience.
Of course, you can choose to use a plug-in to translate your WordPress theme, but this will always result in texts that sound more unnatural and fake than a translation drafted by a professional. That’s why we offer you our services, to translate each element of your website and ensure total perfection.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish) Français (French) Deutsch (German)
