Multilingual options for websites

There are three main approaches to creating a multilingual website, each with unique benefits, limitations, and costs. Below, we outline these options and key considerations to help you choose the right path.

Full multilingual website

Best for: Businesses wanting a fully integrated multilingual site with long-term scalability.

We use the WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML) to localize all content on your website. This widely used plugin enables translation of all site elements—pages, posts, forms, and custom fields—ensuring a seamless user experience.

Automatic translation available!
WPML now offers optional built-in automatic translation features powered by advanced machine translation. When starting from scratch, you can choose this fully automated workflow to quickly translate large volumes of content, or opt for a hybrid approach—start with machine translations and then refine them manually.

“Hands-off” approach

Best for: Quick setup with minimal effort. This is a low-effort approach that can be cost-effective if you have a smaller website; however, you may have less control over the content that appears on the pages.

Third-party hosted services (e.g., GTranslate) automatically translate and host localized content. To get started, you simply:

  1. Set up an account with your chosen service
  2. Configure settings and payment
  3. Let us know so we can install the GTranslate plugin

Have another platform in mind? No problem. Just let us know during our discovery session.

Language landing pages

Best for: A quick, cost-effective solution that is ideal for smaller local US businesses with a large customer base of non-English speaking individuals.

Create a landing page for each language with translated copy and a form to provide immediate assistance to the visitor. Once the pages are created, link to these pages from your secondary navigation and/or on the contact page.

We’ll help you find the best solution

Since the options are so different, we need to conduct a thorough multilingual interview with you and your team. Through our discovery efforts, we’ll provide you with:

  • Consulting: From MVP (minimum viable product) to full translation strategies.
  • Requirements gathering: We help define countries, regions, languages, content, and workflow.
  • Workflow options: We’ll create a clear plan for content translation and updates.

Questions and considerations to define your approach

Below are some of the questions we ask to help determine the approach that will be the best fit for your organization. You won’t need all of these answers right now, but initiating internal conversations is incredibly helpful. This way, when we reach the part of the project that requires detailed discussions, we can dive right into them and have a more impactful outcome.

Explore these questions

Content

  • How does your marketing team currently approach multilingual content?
  • How much content is already translated?
  • Will all pages and post types be translated?
  • Are you comfortable using automatic translation services?

Team & process

  • Who is translating, managing, and editing content?
  • Can translators or admins access the entire site?
  • Where are these team members located and how will that impact your work schedule?

Localization strategy

  • Do you have offices and customers in many countries?
  • Do you need country-specific content or just language-based translations?
  • How many languages and countries are needed?

Other common considerations

What is your ideal URL Structure?

  • URL Directory – www.domain.com/fr-fr/
  • Subdomain – fr.domain.com
  • Country code level domain – www.domain.fr

How will the languages fit into the new website structure?

  • Right-to-left languages
  • Special characters and long words
  • Localization needs (e.g., cultural adjustments)

Are there any data and technical implications?

  • Plugin/tool compatibility
  • Robust custom features and post types may require special attention
  • Content or features that are managed by third parties
  • Products and/or ecommerce (e.g., receipts, emails, multi-currency)
  • Database content that is or is not already translated (i.e., Blog, location data, reviews, etc.)

Does your company do business with China?

China-specific websites require unique hosting, translation, and compliance considerations. We’ll advise on the additional steps needed for this market. Learn more about the translation and hosting considerations for China >

Fees associated with multilingual websites

Full multilingual website (WPML)

  • Consultation, plugin license, and setup: This is included as a line item in your proposal if requested at project start.
  • Language-based fees: Each new language requires a separate statement of work based on the agreed-upon workflow. Costs typically decrease as more languages are added and your team becomes familiar with WPML.
  • Translation fees: Automatic translation credits (see WPML pricing) or manual translation services as needed.

Fees for the other two approaches

  • Minimal Orbit fees: Consulting, configuration, and content entry.
  • 3rd-party costs: Translation subscription or hired translators.

Getting started

During the project discovery phase, we will capture all go-to-market expectations for your company’s marketing activities related to localizations based on language, countries, and regions.

Then, based on the discussions and findings, we devise a post-launch multilingual deployment plan.

Our high-level process for multilingual website discovery

  • Discovery: We capture your language, country, and marketing needs.
  • Planning: We outline technical and administrative requirements, plus content workflows.
  • Estimates: We provide options and fee details based on our findings.
  • Agreed-upon approach: After we agree on a strategy, we’ll provide an SOW for each language.
  • Post-launch deployment plan: After the English/US site goes live, we’ll begin the steps for the first language.
A woman sits at a desk using a laptop, with a water bottle and smartphone nearby, in an office setting.

Now lets dive into the steps for each option…

If you choose the WPML approach

Timeline factors

The time required depends on:

  • Size: Larger sites require more time to configure and test.
  • Complexity: Custom features and integrations require more effort.
  • Content: Pre-translated content vs. brand-new translations impacts speed.

Sites with existing translations typically migrate more quickly than those starting from scratch.

We’ll determine during discovery whether database migration or a manual process is best based on your old platform and content match.

Automatic translation steps

  1. Choose a language to start with
  2. Content workbook: Orbit provides a Content Workbook sitemap and page tracker, including a glossary for universal terms and navigation menus that require translations.
  3. Sitemap confirmation: Your team provides edits to the sitemap and navigation menus (if any).
  4. Manual translations: Your team provides the glossary of terms translations.
  5. Configuration: Orbit sets up WPML, hides translated pages from users, and clicks the auto-translation button for each page. We can do this for only a few pages for testing purposes and then train your team. We also conduct tests to ensure the links throughout the translated pages link to the appropriate language page.
  6. Review: You’ll want native language speakers to review the content and make any necessary changes.
  7. Launch each localization on the live site!

Starting from scratch steps

  1. Choose a language to start with
  2. Content workbook: Orbit provides a Content Workbook sitemap and page tracker, including a glossary for universal terms that require translations.
  3. Sitemap confirmation: Your team provides edits to the sitemap (if any)
  4. Manual translations: Your team provides translations for:
    1. All page copy
    2. URL, title tag, meta description
    3. Image alt text
    4. Glossary of terms
  5. Configuration: Orbit sets up WPML, hides translated pages from users, and manually enters translated pages. We can enter only a few pages for testing purposes and then train your team. We also conduct tests to ensure the links throughout the translated pages link to the appropriate language page.
  6. Review: You’ll want native language speakers to review the content and make any necessary changes.
  7. Launch each localization on the live site!

If you choose the “hands off” approach

Timeline factors

It shouldn’t take long to implement.

With a signed SOW, we’re available to help with troubleshooting and installing the necessary code or plugins to get the third-party service up and running.

Steps include

  1. You set up an account, choose your plan, and configure the settings.
  2. Let us know when you’re done, and we’ll install the plugin for configuration and testing.
  3. We’ll both test the installation on the staging server first, and then deploy on the live site for content work. Expect some troubleshooting and reconfiguration to be required within the account and the plugin.
  4. Launch on the live site!

If you choose the language landing pages approach

Timeline factors

You can configure this on your own within the CMS. Or, with a signed SOW, we’re available to consult and enter your translated content, ensuring that all standard content items are updated and in place.

Either way, it shouldn’t take more than a couple hours per language to enter the pages into your website. Getting the content translated is the toughest task.

Steps include

  1. You translate the content
    1. All page copy
    2. URL, title tag, meta description
    3. Image alt text
    4. Form fields and buttons
    5. Thank you page content after form submission
  2. We enter the content on the live website
  3. Add a link in header menu to launch the page

Here to support your team

Our goal is to reduce the burden on your team as much as possible.

We handle the heavy lifting—from initial planning and setup to ongoing consulting—so your team can stay focused on your core marketing efforts.

We’re here to ensure your multilingual website launch and maintenance are as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Some reminders

  • Though the Orbit team is brilliant, outside of English, we’re not native speakers of the languages used on your website.
  • Your team is responsible for all translated content, including content hosted by third parties or translated through automated processes.
  • It’s essential to have a trustworthy resource on your team who not only can follow the steps but also ensure the live content is accurate.