What is Localization?
Localization is the process of adapting a product or content to a specific locale or market. It is a very important issue for companies that want to sell their products or services internationally. As a result, it increases the number of users worldwide, improves conversions and engagement. More visitors – more sales opportunities.
LaSoft experience
“While having all planned features collected before development it will decrease time and effort for further”
– a fundamental credo of LaSoft success.
At times some functionalities are not so important for a customer at the beginning or due to budget reasons eventually are dropped out of the development process. After it could take much more time to implement.
Once LaSoft faced with a challenge to realize the possible localization for an existing Marketplace project developed using WordPress and partially JavaScript technology. It had a large amount of dynamic content including lots of Beauty Provider’s pages with its unique content inside. A simultaneous translation of both – a website and a mobile application. As the original language was English, we needed Italian as well.
And how to implement it so that it works AUTOMATICALLY or any other way? To be it quick to develop, cost efficiency, for a website and a mobile app?
Types of possible localization
Internally we have considered some types of localization that were the most in keeping with our tasks. Here they are shown below in the order spending from less to much more time.
1. WordPress Multilingual plugin (WPML)
One of the easiest ways lies in connecting a WPML plugin to all WordPress pages and it’s going to translate static content for a website and a mobile application manually. The functionalities developed additionally using JavaScript technology, i.e, unfortunately, are not covered under a translation.
Tip
WPML plugin enables run e-commerce and WooCommerce websites multilingual even up to 40 languages if you have all pages developed only using WordPress.
Advantages:
- The fastest way to implement
- It covers a static translation for a website and a mobile application
Disadvantages:
- No translation for dynamic pages for a website and a mobile application
- WPML is a commercial plugin and it costs money – $29 (annual renewal costs $15)
2. WPML plugin connected with a Google Translate
WPML plugin can cover only static content, so how to solve an issue with a dynamic one? An idea of connecting it with a Google Translate can do its thing. Even more, a translation will be automatic. So, what are the pros and cons then?
Advantages:
- It translates all the content for a website – static and dynamic, for a mobile application – only a static one
Disadvantages:
- Poor quality of translation
- SEO works only with the original language of a dynamic content
- No dynamic translation for a mobile application
- WPML is a commercial plugin and it costs money – $29 (annual renewal costs $15)
3. WPML plugin, filtering, using a Portable Object Template file (.pot file)
By looking back to our issue we had to solve a problem with a static and dynamic translation. Within dynamic content – Service Provider’s pages with its variable data inside. It’s crucially important for a User to be that content relevant and updated. As there are already lots of active Providers – the translation should be easy to realize.
The central idea here based on creating for Users ‘filtering by languages’ possibility for all Service Provider’s pages. The following steps are:
- An Admin/Provider chooses and marks a language the content is.
- As a consequence, a User (Customer) can filter/ search the services he needs by languages.
As a result
WPML plugin works here in the same way – for static pages only. Besides, generating .pot files helps to translate other left dynamic pages only manually, obviously except Service Provider’s pages, they will be filtered.
Advantages:
- It supports a website as well as a mobile application
- Translation of just some left dynamic pages
Disadvantages:
- SEO will work but limited
- No translation for a Provider’s Page, just filtering
- WPML is a commercial plugin and it costs money – $29 (annual renewal costs $15)
4. WPML plugin, using a .pot file and adding the functionalities
At this stage, filtering/searching the services by languages are also presented here. Adding some more functionality makes it possible for the willing Provider to translate manually all his content into one more language. Thus the Customer is capable to read required services in different languages.
Advantages:
- SEO will work
- All willing Providers will have their services proposed in both languages
- .pot file helps to translate manually another dynamic pages
- It supports a website as well as a mobile application
Disadvantages:
- Only willing Providers will have their services in both languages
- WPML is a commercial plugin and it costs money – $29 (annual renewal costs $15)
5. API service for translation – Crowdin (for a consistent automatic translation)
Today’s there are companies providing Machine translation services. Crowdin is one of the most popular and, moreover, an experienced company having worked earlier on massive projects, such as Microsoft, Github, Facebook, Pipedrive, Gitlab, etc.
Integration the Crowdin with your project repository, help desk, and other systems makes source content be always up to date for translators, and previously-translated content is returned automatically. For translation, you may bring your translators or find on Crowdin Marketplace.
Advantages:
- Easy to support an automatic translation
- Fast and quality translation
- They support a website and a mobile application
Disadvantages:
- Quite expensive to support as it includes:
- Monthly plan – starting from $150/month,
- Translation service from Crowdin – starting from $0,05 per word.
! To sum up,
All the solutions are possible to realize depending on the project peculiarities, quality requests, and budget opportunities.
What localization difficulties have you faced?
Post your answers in the comments section below!
