Want to discover common errors on a multilingual WordPress website?
More and more people are working, playing, socializing and even shopping online. There is an increasingly global presence of " net citizens Or people who transcend more traditional national borders.
Current internet trends suggest that people are increasingly likely to partner with and even shop online from overseas-based websites, provided they can view and read the content of product marketing in their own language.
It should also be noted that at least according to Wired magazine, 2020 will be the first year that more than half of all available internet content will not be written in English.
So what's the value of beating 50% to 98% of all your competition?
Based on the latest available data from W3 Tech Surveys As of June 5, 2020, the additional languages ​​that may be used on the internet at the time of this writing represent minus 1% of all internet content in each language.
Portuguese is the sixth most common language in the world, but only about 2% of internet content is written in Portuguese. A Portuguese website translation would therefore be indexed only in direct competition with 2% of the content on the Internet, even going through many different niches, most with independent keywords.
Could this help rank higher in search engine results?
It would also be wise to remember that as website translation and foreign language content become more common, there will be more competition in these virtually untapped markets.
Which websites do you think will rank better on the foreign language search engine results page?
Will this be the website that uses a translation plugin?Will it be the website that was only recently translated? Or maybe it will be the website that has already been translated and indexed on the foreign language results page from the start of the journey towards true globalization of the Internet?
1. Forget about SEO when translating your website
WordPress is by far the most popular CMS on the market, holding a comfortable lead with over 60% market share. Its closest competitor is the WooCommerce CMS with just over 4% market share according to W3techs.
WordPress also has some WordPress translation plugins very impressive, many of which work extremely well. Some of best WordPress plugins translation companies charge a monthly fee, rather than the one-time fee offered by a specialized translation company.
However, most of these translation plugins lack a crucial element. Search engine optimization.
The ability for a user to just click a button and enjoy a translation of website content may be a tempting proposition, but that translation will not be indexed on the website in the language search engine results page. foreign.
A complete website translation will help ensure that all marketing content is not only available in the languages ​​you want, but also that it is fully indexed by search engines in the languages ​​you want. Remember, too, that this also bypasses a lot of your immediate competition, if not all. (At least until the real benefits of multilingual marketing become more widely known)
Yoast SEO has a ton of great resources on the Multilingual SEO. But this is yet another area where plugins WordPress of translation fail to capitalize.
2. Do not localize translations to establish a personal connection
Website translation is an amazing opportunity to more fully implement strategies successful of the location. One of the keys to successful marketing is the ability to make a personal and emotional connection with the target population. The means by which this is accomplished is commonly known as localization.
Discover our list of WordPress plugins to add a translation system to a blog
Even domestic marketing campaigns are subject to localization. Marketing techniques that are effective in large urban centers will generally not be effective in small rural areas. This same language gap extends even further beyond international borders, even with the same parent language in common use.
Do you take the elevator or the elevator? Do you have a hood and a boot or a hood and a trunk?First floor ?The ground floor or the floor above? Now add the change of expressions across foreign languages ​​and the importance of localization becomes a powerful marketing tool.
Localization services require either a translation company specializing in localization or someone specific to the geographic area of ​​the target population. There are many localized expressions, vernaculars, and other figures that can change the whole context of a conversation if literally translated.
See also our list of WordPress plugins to create a multilingual website
Localization strategies should focus on replacing the local vernacular in the original language with an expression also localized in the mother tongue. However, location services should not be limited to speech alone.
The Indian market has approximately 550.000.000 Internet users making it a very popular target demographic for e-Commerce and internet marketing. The picture on the English website of people grilling steaks and burgers may look great to Westerners, but what about the Indians who regard cattle as sacred animals?
The idea of ​​creating different websites for each translation and then combining that with localization services may seem daunting at first, but again, there are tools to make this job easier. However, there are also some common mistakes that some people will make when creating websites. WordPress multilingual even using these tools.
WordPress multisite website configurations and other multilingual websites
The multisite WordPress is currently, at least in some opinions, the best option to create multiple copies of the same website in additional languages ​​using the same base files. This enables a fully indexed translation of the website with the inclusion of localization strategies such as photographs and other localized content on the website.
While this particular problem isn't just limited to multilingual WordPress websites, perhaps the most common mistake of website owners is to neglect to save WordPress and their data.
If you are going to be taking the time and effort for a complete website translation and implementing localization strategies, and for creating a multilingual WordPress website, make sure that you make regular backups of all your data and store them securely off website.
3. Too many 301/302 redirects and / or the use of VPN technologies
Also among the most common mistakes people can make on a website WordPressmultilingual is to try to make the navigation automatic or too technically complicated. While these options might be perfectly viable for more advanced WordPress users, they can be just as detrimental if you're not intimately familiar with the entire process.
Here is also for you Some WordPress plugins to redirect
The use of IP gateways is quite common, but given the increasing frequency with which VPNs and other IP blocking technologies are used on the Internet, this is not necessarily the best option. If someone is searching for your English website and then being redirected to a Russian website translation, this will likely increase your bounce rate over time.
301 and other redirects 300 series redirects like 302 or 308 redirects are also common, with 301 being the most common. However, these types of redirects can be blocked by certain browsers and browser plugins, which will prevent your newly translated website from being visited.
These types of redirects can also increase the security risks on the website when not properly managed or implemented. Since WordPress is by far the most popular and commonly used CMS on the internet today, it is always going to be a prime target for hackers, crackers, and others who may have malicious intent.
Avoiding any use of redirects is a much better solution for anyone who is not a WordPress expert. If you find a reputable WordPress expert service, these can still be a viable option, but not always ideal.
One of the most popular options is the display of national flags, where the translated language is generally recognized as the native language for website translation. Thus, a British or American flag can be used to signify an English translation. A Spain flag can be used for Spanish, but given that the largest native Spanish speaking group is actually Mexico, a Mexican flag can also be an option.
Using a dashboard in French on WordPress multilingual site ? Find out by following this link
There may be cases where the website translation is even more complete, with more specific localization strategies. In such cases it may be necessary to display both the UK and US flags, or Mexico and Spain depending on the depth and specificity of the website translation. .
4. Not paying attention to brand consistency and reverse pattern design
What if someone came and spoke all the languages ​​available to translate your website just as fluently?Would they be able to read all of the translated content and have a consistent user experience?
Are the ads the same size and in the same place? The images used with the content, now being different photographs based on your localization strategies, will they all be the same size and enjoy the same prominence?
Brand consistency is an important aspect that is often overlooked in multilingual WordPress websites. Why are franchises and restaurant chains doing so well, no matter where they build? Brand consistency. There might be some arguing over the benefits of fast food, but why are these places so popular?
It doesn't matter if you are visiting a restaurant in New York or rural America or the heart of Germany or anywhere else in the world. The burger and fries that you get in any place are going to be compatible with the burger and fries that you get in any other place.
Brand consistency is not only important for the overall user experience on your multilingual WordPress website, but for the purpose of establishing and maintaining customer loyalty. There is an interesting caveat though, which is often overlooked during the process of website translations.
See also: How to translate a WordPress plugin
What do you wantyou say by reverse WordPress templates? Remember that brand consistency is important regardless of the languages ​​for which the website translation may be used. There are many languages ​​that are written right to left. How do you maintain brand consistency on a multilingual WordPress website where the language is written the other way around (often called RTL, or right to left)?
Some users may want professional WordPress customer support to get help with such a feature, but reverse websites can be created. This would be the case, for example, for a website translated from English to Arabic or from Yiddish to English.
If the general idea behind website translation is to attract and maintain a foreign audience, every effort should be made to welcome new visitors and make them feel at home.
5. Neglecting color psychology
While color psychology isn't exactly at the forefront when it comes to website translations, it still needs to be mentioned. A combination of black and red colors can be great in some places, but brings to mind more unpleasant times in others.
See also our 5 tools to create a color palette for WordPress blog
Different colors will have different meanings to different people, and there is always someone who will not be happy no matter how beautiful your website is. However, there are a few color combinations that should also be avoided altogether.
The perfect website color combinations may not be the most pressing detail to consider, but they are worth some research. The idea is to attract your audience and create a personal and emotional connection with them in order to have a campaign of internet marketing sustainable and long term.
6. Avoid multi-purposing multilingual website content on social networks
Multi-purposing is the means by which the same content can be used to generate additional content on different media platforms. Multi-purposing content is a fairly common practice, even for websites that only exist in one language without any translation.
Social networks, like the rest of the Internet, are rapidly moving beyond their previous limitations in English only. Facebook's user interface currently supports around 111 languages. Twitter's user interface is currently available with around 35 languages, and other social networks are increasingly multilingual.
A complete and appropriate translation of the website will give you all the tools you need to improve your multilingual reach on social networks.
Video translations can be used to create SRT files that will be fully indexed by search engines, increasing the visibility of video content on search engine results pages. Podcasts can be made from translations of website content through the use of a native artist of the translation language.
A complete translation of website content will provide you with the basic tools you need to take all your Content marketing at an international level. More website content is a logical progression, as is communicating more directly with your audience, even within your social media marketing campaign.
Use the website's translation services to speak to your new audience in a language they will understand. Use location services to speak to their hearts.
Hopefully the information you found here will also translate into fewer mistakes along your road to success in building multilingual WordPress websites.
Recommended Resources
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- How to add double-factor authentication to WordPress
- How to disconnect inactive users on WordPress
Conclusion
Here ! That's it for this guide on common mistakes made when building a multilingual WordPress website. If you have some Comments or suggestions, do not hesitate to tell us in the section reserved for these.
However, you can also consult our resources, if you need more elements to carry out your projects of creation of Internet sites, by consulting our guide on WordPress blog creation.
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