Taking WordPress to the World: Options for a Multilingual Site

Presented by Shannon Smith at WordCamp Toronto 2012.

About two thirds of the world population speak more than one language and most of the world doesn’t use the Internet in English. This presentation will cover what components are needed for a successful multilingual WordPress site. We’ll compare different set-ups, review key plugins and examine common pitfalls. Then we’ll look at advanced features like e-commerce and email marketing. This presentation will be accessible to anyone with a basic understanding of WordPress. No coding necessary.

Shannon Smith is the founder of Café Noir Design, a boutique Montreal web design company specializing in multilingual web development. She builds beautiful, functional websites that her clients can update themselves and that are easy for search engines to find.

Transcript

1. September 29, 2012 Taking WordPress to the World: Options for a Multilingual Site WordCamp Toronto 2012
2. Shannon Smith Web Developer at Café Noir Design www.cafenoirdesign.com @cafenoirdesign
3. What We’ll Cover ✤ Introduction ✤ Strategies for Content ✤ 2 WordPress Set-ups ✤ Key Plugins ✤ Advanced Features
4. Introduction
5. Why design multilingual sites? Photo: nevsred
6. Defining Multilingual ✤ Multilingual vs. Unilingual (but not English) ✤ Multi-lingual vs. Multi-regional Image: wpbeginner
7. Strategies for Content
8. Automated Solutions ✤ Google AJAX Translation Plugin http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-ajax- translation/ ✤ Website Translator by Google http://translate.google.com/translate_tools
9. Partial Solutions ✤ Posts in alternating languages, interface in one language ✤ Posts in alternating languages, interface in multiple languages
10. Complete Solutions ✤ Different content for each language ✤ Completely mirrored sites
11. Two WordPress Setups
12. Technical Considerations ✤ Interface language ✤ Content language ✤ Language switcher ✤ Language persistence ✤ URL structure ✤ Alphabet ✤ Text direction Photo: jerebu
13. Political Considerations ✤ Use of flags ✤ Design and cultural considerations ✤ Default language ✤ Splash page
14. What About SEO? ✤ Make the language obvious ✤ Don’t mix languages ✤ Block automated translations from search engines ✤ Use separate URLs ✤ Make the language discoverable ✤ Cross-link each page ✤ Don’t use cookies to show translated versions ✤ Be careful using javascript ✤ Avoid automatic redirection based on the user’s language Further reading: Google’s Advice on Multi-regional and multilingual sites http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=182192
15. URLs for Search Engines 1. Different subdomains de.example.com en.example.com 2. Different subdirectories example.com/en/ example.com/de/ 3. Different domain names example.com exemple.fr Photo: jack dorsey
16. Prepping for Multilingual ✤ Internationalize http://codex.wordpress.org/I18n_for_WordPress_Developers ✤ Localize http://codex.wordpress.org/Translating_WordPress ✤ Language Packs http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_in_Your_Language Photo: scazon
17. Dual-Installation Method ✤ Two WordPress installations (can be Multisite) http://codex.wordpress.org/Create_A_Network ✤ Content can be identical or not ✤ Requires a language switcher plugin ✤ Stable choice ✤ Extra maintenance
18. Single-Installation Method ✤ One WordPress installation ✤ Content can be identical or not ✤ Requires a multilingual plugin ✤ Can be less stable ✤ Can involve less maintenance
19. Key Plugins
20. Single-Installation Plugins ✤ WPML ✤ Easy to use ✤ Easy to install ✤ Translates content, interface, plugins ✤ Sometimes buggy ✤ Other plugins (qTranslate) can NOT be easily uninstalled http://wpml.org
21. Dual-Installation Plugins ✤ Bilingual Linker (2 languages only) http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bilingual-linker/ ✤ Multisite Language Switcher http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/multisite-language-switcher/
22. Advanced Features
23. e-Commerce ✤ Magento ✤ PrestaShop (with or without plugin) ✤ WPML & WooCommerce ✤ WPML & MarketPress ✤ WPML & JigoShop ✤ WPML & WP E-Commerce ✤ Other WPML e-Commerce solutions on the way
24. Email Marketing ✤ CakeMail ✤ Campaign Monitor (2 sub-accounts) ✤ MailChimp (2 accounts) ✤ PHPList
25. Other ✤ Forms and surveys: Wufoo Forms & Gravity Forms ✤ Forums (multiple forums) ✤ Wikis (multiple wikis) ✤ BuddyPress (WPML in beta)
26. Closing
27. Shannon Smith Web Developer at Café Noir Design https://speakerdeck.com/u/cafenoirdesign http://www.netmagazine.com/tutorials/ build-multilingual-site-wordpress www.cafenoirdesign.com @cafenoirdesign
28. Thank You Image: woodleywonderworks