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The benefits of a multilingual WordPress website
A multilingual WordPress website is a smart choice if your organization operates internationally or if you serve a multilingual target audience within the Netherlands. It offers several benefits that significantly improve user experience and online performance:
Usability
Visitors can navigate your WordPress website more easily when it is in their native language. This lowers the chances of them dropping out during the conversion process, which can lead to more satisfied customers and higher conversion rates.
Multilingual website for LetsGrow.com
For LetsGrow.com, we created an international website with multilingual content, perfect for global growth and lead generation.
AI as part of a multilingual workflow
AI can significantly speed up the translation and updating of large amounts of content. The choice between manual review, batch translation, or a fully automated workflow depends on your languages, content volume, and quality requirements. Read how translating WordPress websites with AI works.
Developing a multilingual website?
Bram is happy to tell you more about how Studio Brabo handles this.
Challenges of a multilingual WordPress website
While a multilingual WordPress website offers many advantages, it also brings some challenges. It goes beyond simply adding a language drop-down menu. Here are a few key points to consider:
More work and time investment
A multilingual website requires separate content for each language, which means that everything from text to keywords must be carefully translated and optimized. This process takes extra time and effort.
Higher development time
Based on our experience, developing a multilingual WordPress website takes 20% to 30% more time than a regular website. This is due to the extra steps in translating, adapting, and optimizing. It is important to make a well-considered choice and work with an experienced web partner to fully benefit from the advantages of a multilingual website.
50+
Multilingual websites launched.
20+
Countries in which our clients operate.
70%
Of our clients choose multilingualism.
A multilingual domain structure that works
Always consider language and region when making your choice. Basically, multilingualism means having the same content on your website but in a different language. If the target region differs, it may make more sense to use different domain names. A rule of thumb here is: does the content differ substantially in content? Then go for different domain names. The choice of a domain and its structure is essential for the findability of your website. There are three options:
Domain by country
Each country gets its own domain (country-specific). If you are going to sell in France, the French domain will have the company name.fr. We also call country-specific domains Country-Code Top-Level Domains or ccTLDs.
Folder Structure
Each language or region gets its own folder within the main domain, for example companyname.com/fr/. This is often clear and easy to manage from a single platform. Which structure fits best depends on your markets, content, and organization.
Subdomain
Then there is also the possibility of creating a subdomain per country or language area. The French content is then displayed on a domain such as: fr.companyname.com. Again, the main domain must be a generic domain.
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Multilingual WordPress websites: The Studio Brabo approach
At Studio Brabo, a multilingual website is more than just a translation; it is a strategic extension of your international ambitions. Currently, over 70% of the websites we launch are multilingual. Through this in-depth experience, we know exactly how to set up complex structures that are technically perfect and search engine friendly.
Smart content management with the Brabo Composer
No hassle with complicated systems. Thanks to our own Brabo Composer, you maintain full control over your international content. Whether you want to fine-tune manually, send texts to a professional translation agency, or use the latest AI translation technologies: your content is available in any desired language at the touch of a button.
International setup and management
We set up language versions, content management, and technical references so that your team can maintain the website clearly. For the translation workflow, we choose together between manual review, AI support, or automatic translation. View our approach to AI translation.
They went before you with a multilingual website
Frequently asked questions about multilingual websites
Findability across borders requires more than just translation. We implement technical SEO standards such as hreflang tags. These tell Google exactly which language version is intended for which region, preventing duplicate content and helping you rank higher in local search results.
That depends on your strategy. A .fr domain often works best for local trust in France, while a /fr/ folder is easier to manage from one central domain. Studio Brabo advises you on the structure that fits your growth plans.
AI translations are amazingly accurate these days. However, for business content, we always recommend a 'Human-in-the-loop' approach: AI lays the foundation, and an expert refines the text. This way, you combine speed with the highest quality.
A multilingual plugin can cause extra database requests, but at Studio Brabo, we optimize the technology so the impact is minimal. By using smart caching and a clean code architecture, your website remains lightning fast, regardless of the number of languages.
Yes, that is often even essential for the local experience. Our multilingual systems make it possible to vary media files per language. For example, you can show a Dutch video to your visitors in the Netherlands and an English version to your international audience.