Tips To Create A Multi-lingual E-Commerce website Using WooCommerce and WordPress

It is a fact that people across the globe speak different languages. Therefore, since everybody cannot go with a single language, it is essential to have the necessary multi-language features for an electronic or online store. Such an arrangement will allow non-local suppliers as well to sell and ship products internationally. WooCommerce can easily make this happen.

Why Go For A Multi-Language E-Commerce Store In The First Place

A multi-language WooCommerce plugin comes with a lot of benefits such as:

●  Better SEO benefits that the rest of the eCommerce platforms.

●  Increase in Smart Marketing Strategies.

●  Enhanced Sales and Revenue.

●  Increased Online Prospects.

It is possible to direct traffic not only from a specific country but also from countries worldwide. Audiences will feel comfortable since they would be able to use their language. Finally, it would send a message worldwide that the site wants to reach out to people across different cultures and borders to use the site and buy the products.

[Also Read: Top 6 WordPress SEO Plugins That You Should Use!]

However, for an eCommerce development company, the trick lies in coming with the right support to make this happen, and WooCommerce can be the right choice. The process is pretty simple, so hang on to find out.

There are numerous eCommerce platforms available these days that allow setting up an eCommerce business. Among them, WooCommerce happens to be the most popular.

WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin that is relatively easy to use. It offers tremendous functionality and customization, thereby allowing the creation of an online business that is considered professional.

Important Issues While Translating The Store

It is easy to translate a site. But, it is not that easy to set it up. Things can become tricky at times. There might be a few issues while setting up a site. Given below are a few facts that you must consider at the time of building a multi-language store by using the WooCommerce plugin:

Setting Up The URL Structure:

Ensure that you do not forget to properly configure the URL structure at the top-level domains, sub-domains, and sub-directories.

Site Map or HREF LANG Tags:

Inclusion of href lang tags targeting language and region.

Pick The Best Available Platform For The Multi-language Store

Presently, numerous E-Commerce platforms in the market allow the option of multi-language for a WooCommerce site. The WordPress WooCommerce plugin happens to be among the principal CMS. Note that WordPress does not extend the default multi-language facility. However, it is still possible to come up with a multi-language provision quickly.

Multi-Language In WordPress

There is no doubt that WordPress has been ranked among the best in CMS, but it is not a multi-language by default. Because of this, a WooCommerce plugin allows creating multilingual quickly by hiding external plugins. Here is how it is done:

Manual Creation of WooCommerce Multi-Language Platform:

Using this method, an individual site can be created for every language spoken in the world. However, only a single language can be added to each site. However, it is not a recommended approach. There has to be a root folder or a subfolder to associate another language with a new WordPress with a total WooCommerce plugin installation. If not, there has to be a completely new domain name.

For example, if you are looking to add the Chinese language to the default English, you will need to create a subfolder first in the root folder. Once it is done, you will have access to the new installation. See, it is that easy to add another language to the store.

However, there are a few pros and cons. Very few go by this method for making the site multilingual. It all depends on what a business expects from the market and the people it would like to target. Again, it is not a suitable method, and it is recommended that the plugin approach is way better. The way to make the WooCommerce plugin available in various languages simultaneously using WordPress is as explained below:

Pros and Cons

Pros:

●  There is absolutely no need for any additional plugins.

●  Things are flexible. It is possible to customize every element of the translated website. However, it is possible to either add or remove pages, posts, and products.

Cons:

●  It is a bit complicated to link up translations. It is not possible to set-up a language switcher on the front end. It can be achieved manually since the translations are not linked.

●  It is a bit complex to manage the content. If you want to make modifications for multiple languages, the installation procedure must be conducted for each language. Moreover, there is a possibility that the right updates may not be available for installation.

●  The reporting system is tricky. There is a need to export data every time an installation happens to have a complete overview of the transactions.

●  Every installation needs to be updated and also tested individually.

●  There might be complications at the time of activating the plugin post-installation. It happens in case the plugins are paid and have limited validity.

So, here is the recommendation to overcome the limitations. WooCommerce can be made multilingual by using plugins. There are several WordPress multi-language plugins available in the market having marked functionalities and features. These are:

Weglot:

It is among the simplest content translators. It is a web page translation solution that allows for a multi-language translation within minutes. The most prominent feature of this plugin is that it can translate and recognize text contents independently. Most importantly, it is SEO optimized.

Shop Translate:

It is an automated tool for making a site multilingual. It makes it easy to launch a site in multiple counties. Products can be updated and translated within just a few minutes. It is compatible with multiple eCommerce platforms and is also SEO optimized.

WPML – WordPress Multi-lingual Plug-In:

It is among the best WordPress plugins for creating sites with multiple languages. The plugin allows for translating almost anything. Also, a separate post can be created for every language for proper management. Various currencies can be accepted for running the site globally. It allows SEO in all languages individually.

[Also Read: Joomla Struggles With WordPress & Drupal To Hold Its Position]

Multi-lingual Press:

It is the right solution for creating stores in multiple languages. It is packed with numerous advanced features for extending the best way to make an eCommerce site multilingual. The multi-site feature allows integrating various websites into one. It is capable of translating pages and posts on a different site having a different language.

Polylang Plug-In:

It is among the best plugins to convert a WooCommerce site into a multi-language one. The language will have to be determined manually since there is no provision for automatic integration. One distinct sub-domain or domain, according to language, can be used. This plugin has the power of two WordPress plugins.

It is not recommended to have a multi-site to manage or different set-up translations because of various complications. For a full translation of the web site, the WPML plugin would be the best fit. Even though it is a paid one, it allows translation quite easily. A WordPress development company can also opt for the Polylang Plug-In, which is free and good enough. Even though it is not so feature-rich, it can get the job done.In case of any queries, feel free to share your concern. Our expertise covers Magento Development Services too.