wcdk - Making your WordPress Multilingual

Going global
how to make your WordPress site
multilingual

About me & OnTheGoSystems
Amit Kvint - (i18n) -
@amitkvint
● Multilingual father &
eco builder
● Front-end & WordPress
developer
● WPML Compatibility
project team leader
OnTheGoSystems
● WPML
● Toolset plugins
● iCanLocalize

Agenda
● Multilingual website –
why it is worth
investing
● What is a multilingual
site and what it is not
● How to turn your
WordPress site into a
full multilingual site
● Tips and hints

Languages on the Internet
source: wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Languages_used_on_the_Internet
The number of non-English pages is rapidly expanding. The use of English online increased by around
281% from 2001 to 2011, however this is far less than Spanish (743%), Chinese (1,277%), Russia

WordCamp Porto | 9, 10 Nov
> Why Multilingual?
● ⅔ of the world population speaks more than
one language
● companies trading globally improve their
productivity by 34%
● the majority of the Internet users prefer to
buy products on websites in their native
tongues

Be nice to your visitors & Google
● Google tries to determine the
main language of each one of your
pages
● Google ignores code-level
language info
● You can help by:
○ sticking to only one language
per page
○ using the same language for
all elements
● Help Google bots to get your site
indexed
● automated translations will be
ignored!
● cross-link page by page
● avoid automatic redirections
● provide valuable content

For developers
● Follow the codex - its awesome
● Localize everything (slugs, CPT, admin texts)

> Technical considerations
● In which languages will you have content?
● What about the interface and the admin
panel?
● Switching between languages?
● What URL structure to use?
● What about SEO?
● What about themes?

> Localize it!
WordPress uses two PHP functions:
__('message')
used when the message is passed as an argument to another function.
_e('message')
used to write the message directly to the page.
if you are internationalizing a Theme or Plugin, you should use a "Text Domain"
http://codex.wordpress.org/I18n_for_WordPress_Developers
<?php $translated_text = __( 'text', 'domain' ); ?>

> Multilingual vs localised
POT(Portable Object Template)
PO (Portable Object)
MO (Machine Object)

Making your WordPress site a multilingual site
Steps
1. choose your solution
2. install and configure
3. insert the language
switcher
4. translate your content
5. keep updated

Steps
3. insert language
switcher
5. keep updated
Different possibilities
● Multiple WP installs
● WordPress MultiSite
● Plugins
○ qTranslate
○ WPML
○ Multilingual Press
○ Stella
○ xili-language

Steps
3. insert language
switcher
5. keep updated
What to handle
● select site languages
● select language URL
format
● select admin language

Steps
3. insert language
switcher
5. keep updated
Tips and hints
● cross-link all pages
● custom lang switcher -
check ahead what your
plugin allows for

Steps
3. insert language
switcher
5. keep updated

What to translate
● site title
● pages and posts
● categories, tags
● images, menus
● widgets
● custom post types
● custom fields
● theme localization
● theme options
● sticky links ...
Steps
3. insert language
switcher
5. keep updated

Steps
3. insert language
switcher
5. keep updated
When you are done,
your site will start
living its own life
● let your site be easy to
maintain by different
users
● be predictable, think
ahead about future
enhancements

Different user roles, different needs
Site visitors
● comfortable, please
● I’d like to understand
everything
Content editors
● quick and easy, please
● don’t make me think
WP developers
● how quickly?
● which elements to
handle?
Google
● will I recognize the
language?
● translated by human?

Make it comfortable for non-technicals
● can you copy from
original?
● can you change your
admin language?
● can you translate
images?
● how about the menu
synchronization?

Keep your site up to date for all languages
● turn ordinary WP users
into translators
● let your translators be
notified quickly
● while translating let them
see both language
versions
● be professional, if you
need help ask a qualified
translator

Plan - Be predictable
● Check ahead if your
theme is compatible
with your multilingual
plugin
● When you get stuck,
ask for support
● Your site will grow.
Think ahead, think
about the future

Don’t let eCommerce surprise you
● the number of WP
eCommerce shops is
rapidly growing
● check ahead if your
multilingual plugin
supports eCommerce

We are hiring !
We are looking for a talented expert WordPress programmers
to join our growing company.
The work is done remotely from everywhere.
We invite you to join us and enjoy:
● Great team work.
● Challenging career.
● rewording conditions
How to apply: eyal@icanlocalize.com

Questions - or catch me later
- @amitkvint
- amit.k@icanlocalize.com
- wpclases.com
* having a drink in the happiness bar

wcdk - Making your WordPress Multilingual

More Related Content

What's hot (16)

Similar to wcdk - Making your WordPress Multilingual (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

wcdk - Making your WordPress Multilingual