Translators need to take a number of specific features into account when translating web pages. That’s why using the right tools can avoid several headaches.
This post is all about how to translate a WordPress site, one of the most popular content creation and management tools, with the help of WPML.
Why your company should translate its website
It’s not unusual to come across companies that decide to translate their web into multiple languages. This is to make their content accessible to audiences in other countries and other regions around the world.
The advantages are clear, provided it is done correctly. The translation makes the product or service reach more people, which will undoubtedly benefit the company and bring in revenue.
As we’ve said, however, this translation task presents numerous complexities that translators have to get round in order to offer quality results.
Reasons to avoid free website translation tools
As we explained in our post on machine translation and professional translation, using an online machine website translator to facilitate user understanding of the content can generate unwanted results. This is because tools such as Google Translate are designed to automatically translate words, and words alone. Unlike professional translators, they don’t take into account aspects such as the context or the target audience, and more often than not, they offer incorrect translations.
In contrast, professional translators consider all aspects of a text, as well as additional website elements. They weigh up various factors before making a decision, crucial for a high-quality translation.
Features to consider when translating a web page
Here are some examples of the specific features of website translation:
- Text processing. Translators are often responsible for exporting the website text in order to edit it and transfer it into the language requested by the client. They also need to maintain all those elements that make up the page design (images, text boxes, links, and so on). Tools, such as WPML (which we will come to later), assist the translator in this task.
- Format. Websites typically include various elements that enable the final user to visualise the page exactly how it was designed. These elements include codes, formatting tags and links to other pages. After exporting the text, the translator must take these elements into account so that the final translation appears exactly like the original.
- Text position. Web pages are usually created with a design in mind and include elements that delineate the text. These include buttons, boxes and headings. The translator must consider all these elements and pay special attention to the space occupied by the text. There is often a character count that translators must not exceed, as doing so would alter the page design. This is particularly evident when translating web pages from English into Spanish as, on average, the former tends to be more concise and occupy less space.
- Terminology. When translating web pages, translators must not ignore terms selected for SEO purposes. SEO is used to increase the number of page visits by positioning the site among the first results in the most common search engines, like Google.
WordPress: the popular CMS
Translators must also be familiar with one of the most popular and widely used systems for creating websites or blogs for free: WordPress. This tool is a content management system, or CMS, that many businesses turn to when wanting to create a web page.
You’re probably wondering how translators translate web pages without going mad trying!
WPML: a multilingual WordPress plugin
There are a number of programs and plugins that translators can use when translating websites. That said, none of them offer as many functions nor are as complete as WPML. WPML is a multilingual WordPress plugin. After a simple installation, it allows translators to manage the website and translate the content into the desired language.
Here are some of the features that WPML offers:
- Integrity. This plugin covers all phases of the translation process and provides all the functions needed to achieve a flawless result. It exports the texts, processes them and reconverts them so that the final layout is identical to the original.
- Compatibility. WPML accepts all themes and plugins so that there are no compatibility issues when translating the web page. This is especially useful when it comes to terminology. For example, there are very useful SEO plugins that assist in the task of search engine positioning.
- Ease of use. It is a tool with numerous functions while also being very intuitive and easy to use. It also includes clear and comprehensive information so that translators do not encounter difficulties and can focus on what really matters: the translation.
Translate your web page today
Tatutrad has partnered with WPML. We’re proud to be the only company in the south of Spain and one of the few from across the country that have reached this agreement. We know that WPML will give us all the tools we need to offer high-quality web page translations, which is exactly what we want to offer our clients.
If you need to translate your web page or blog and you want the best results possible, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Thanks to our partnership with WPML, the quality will be unbeatable.