Exploring i18n Solutions to Translate Your Wix Website

In today’s global digital marketplace, ensuring your website speaks the language of your audience is key. For Wix site owners, embracing internationalization (i18n) opens the door to engaging diverse visitors while protecting your site’s structure, SEO strength, and overall user experience. In this article, we explore various i18n approaches from Wix’s built-in multilingual tools to third-party apps and custom-coded solutions helping you decide which one best fits your project needs.

What is Internationalization (i18n)?

Internationalization (i18n) refers to the process of designing and preparing your website so it can easily support multiple languages and cultural contexts. In Wix, this means setting up a flexible website architecture where text, images, menus, and even interactive elements can be adapted or translated for different regions. By planning for i18n from the start, you ensure that your content can be localized efficiently, making it accessible and engaging for a global audience.

For more insights on internationalization and its importance in web design, check out our foundational article on the concept of internationalization.

The Translation Challenge for Wix Websites

Translating your Wix website presents distinct challenges:

• Content Diversity: Wix websites often feature a mix of text, images, videos, and interactive elements. Translating each component consistently is essential.
• SEO Considerations: Properly implemented translations can enhance your search rankings globally by using language-specific URLs, meta tags, and other SEO best practices.
• User Experience: A smooth language switcher and consistently designed multilingual pages significantly boost visitor engagement.
• Ongoing Maintenance: As your site evolves, keeping translations up-to-date across all languages can become complex.

Leading i18n Solutions for Wix

Below, we outline several popular approaches to managing multilingual content on your Wix website:

1. Wix Multilingual

Overview:
Wix Multilingual is the platform’s native solution that allows you to seamlessly create a multilingual site without leaving the Wix Editor. This integrated tool is designed to simplify the translation process, making it accessible even for non-technical users.

Key Features:

• Built-In Language Management: Easily add multiple languages and manage translations directly from the Wix Editor.
• Automatic Duplicate Pages: Create copies of your existing pages for each language, ensuring design consistency.
• Customizable Language Switcher: Provide visitors with an intuitive menu to select their preferred language.
• SEO-Friendly: Automatically adjust meta tags, URLs, and other SEO elements based on the selected language.

Advantages:

• Fully integrated with the Wix ecosystem.
• User-friendly and designed for non-developers.
• Regularly updated to support new Wix features and functionalities.

Considerations:

• Best suited for straightforward translation needs.
• May have limitations when dealing with highly dynamic or custom-coded elements.
• Some advanced customizations might require additional work using Wix’s Velo.

2. Third-Party Translation Apps: Weglot

Overview:
Weglot is a popular third-party translation solution that integrates with Wix to provide both automatic and manual translations. It is designed to quickly transform a monolingual site into a fully multilingual experience.

Key Features:

• Automatic Translation: Kickstart the process with automatic translation engines, then fine-tune as needed.
• Seamless Integration: Easily link with your Wix website and manage translations through the Weglot dashboard.
• SEO-Optimized: Generates language-specific URLs and handles hreflang tags to maintain SEO value.
• User-Friendly: Intuitive interface for managing translations across your site.

Advantages:

• Fast and effective, making it ideal for rapid deployment.
• Supports a wide range of languages.
• Reduces manual translation workload while offering room for custom edits.

Considerations:

• Subscription-based pricing may affect smaller budgets.
• As with any third-party tool, reliance on an external service may involve additional maintenance considerations.

3. Manual Translation with Duplicate Pages

Overview:
For those who prefer full control over translations, manually creating duplicate pages in different languages is an option. This approach involves replicating your site’s content and then replacing the text with translated versions.

Key Features:

• Full Control: Tailor each language version to meet specific cultural or regional requirements.
• Design Consistency: Use Wix’s drag-and-drop editor to maintain design accuracy across languages.
• No Dependency on External Tools: Rely solely on Wix’s built-in features without additional plugins or apps.

Advantages:

• Complete oversight of every translated element.
• No additional costs beyond your existing Wix plan.
• Ideal for sites with a limited number of pages or specific translation requirements.

Considerations:

• Time-intensive, especially as your site grows.
• Requires diligent management to ensure updates are replicated across all language versions.
• Not optimal for very large or frequently updated websites.

4. Custom i18n Solutions Through Wix Velo

Overview:
Wix Velo (formerly Corvid) is a powerful development platform that enables advanced customization. For developers with unique translation requirements or complex workflows, leveraging Velo to build custom i18n solutions can provide unparalleled flexibility.

Key Techniques:

• Custom Translation Workflows: Build systems to retrieve, store, and display translations dynamically.
• Data-Driven Translations: Utilize external APIs or databases to manage multilingual content.
• Advanced SEO Customization: Fine-tune URL structures, meta tags, and other SEO components for each language.
• Interactive Language Switchers: Design custom elements that integrate seamlessly with your site’s functionality.

Advantages:

• Complete flexibility to tailor solutions to your needs.
• Integration with external services and APIs is possible.
• Can handle complex, dynamic content across various pages or sections.

Considerations:

• Requires a solid development background and time investment.
• More responsibility on maintenance and scalability compared to plug-and-play solutions.
• Not recommended for non-technical users seeking quick deployment.

Choosing the Right i18n Solution for Your Wix Site

When selecting an internationalization approach for your Wix website, consider the following factors:

• Budget: Wix Multilingual and manual translations are cost-effective, while third-party solutions like Weglot may involve a subscription fee.
• Technical Expertise: Non-developers might favor the ease-of-use in Wix Multilingual or Weglot, while developers may appreciate the flexibility offered by Wix Velo.
• Site Complexity and Scale: For sites with a few pages or straightforward content, manual methods or Wix Multilingual work well. For more complex or content-rich websites, third-party apps or custom solutions might be necessary.
• Maintenance and Updates: Choose a solution that aligns with your long-term content management strategy and ensures consistent updates across all languages.

Conclusion

Translating your Wix website is more than just a language conversion it’s about creating a culturally resonant experience that connects with a global audience. Whether you opt for the streamlined approach of Wix Multilingual, the dynamic capabilities of third-party apps like Weglot, a hands-on manual strategy, or a custom solution via Wix Velo, the goal remains the same: effective communication across borders.

By carefully evaluating your requirements and resources, you can establish a robust multilingual presence that drives international engagement and growth. Happy translating, and here’s to your Wix site’s worldwide success!