How to Build a Multilingual Site in Webflow

Multilingual websites are becoming increasingly important in the globalised world of today. With a multilingual website, you can reach a wider audience and communicate effectively with people who speak different languages. Webflow is a powerful website builder that makes it easy for you to create a multilingual website. In this blog post, we will show you how to build a multilingual site in Webflow.

Why Build a Multilingual Site in Webflow?

Reach Wider Audience: There are many reasons why you should consider building a multilingual site in Webflow. Firstly, it allows you to reach a wider audience. By providing content in multiple languages, you can connect with people from different parts of the world who speak different languages, therefore expanding your reach.

Communication: Secondly, creating a multilingual website can help you communicate with people who speak different languages. This is important because by providing content in multiple languages, you can ensure that your message is accessible to everyone. This can help you build trust with your audience, as they will appreciate the effort you're making to communicate with them.

Website Visibility: Thirdly, building a multilingual website can improve your website's visibility in search engines. By providing content in multiple languages, you can increase your website's relevance for keywords in those languages. This means that people who are searching for information in those languages are more likely to find your website.

Improved User Experience: Fourthly, creating a multilingual website can improve user experience. By providing content in their native language, you can make it easier for people to navigate your website and find the information they need. This can help you keep visitors on your website for longer and increase the chances that they will take the desired action.

Wide Range of Features: Lastly, Webflow is an excellent platform for multilingual features as you can create a separate page for each language, which makes it easy to manage your content. You can also use Webflow's CMS to create collections of content in each language, which makes it easy to keep your content organised. Additionally, Webflow offers a variety of integrations with translation services, which means that you can easily translate your content into multiple languages.

Multilingual Integrations for Webflow

Weglot:

Weglot is a popular translation management system that can be easily integrated into Webflow. With Weglot, you can translate your entire website into multiple languages in just a few clicks. Just by installing the Weglot app and connecting it to your Webflow site, you can select the languages you want to translate your site into.

A benefit of using Weglot is that it offers a visual editor that allows you to preview and edit your translations in real-time. This means you can see exactly how your translated content will look on your site before you publish it.

Another benefit is that Weglot supports over 100 languages, making it a great option for businesses.

Bablic:

Bablic is another popular translation management system that can be integrated into Webflow. With Bablic, you can translate your site into multiple languages and customise your translations to fit your brand voice and tone. Sounds amazing right?

Bablic also offers a visual editor that allows you to see how your translations will look on your site before you publish them. It also offers a machine translation option, which can be useful for translating large amounts of content quickly.

One of the unique features of Bablic is its ability to automatically detect and translate new content as it is added, meaning not having to manually update your translations every time you add new content to your site.

Linguana:

Linguana.io is another popular translation management system that can be integrated into Webflow to help you build a multilingual website. With Linguana.io, you can translate your site into multiple languages and customise your translations to fit your brand voice and tone.

To use Linguana.io with Webflow, you first need to install the Linguana.io app and connect it to your Webflow site. Once connected, you can select the languages you want to translate your site into and begin translating your content.

One of the benefits of using Linguana.io is that it offers a range of translation options, including both machine translation and human translation. This means you can choose the translation method that works best for your needs and budget.

Linguana.io also offers a visual editor that allows you to preview your translations in real-time and customise your translations to fit your brand voice and tone. Additionally, Linguana.io supports a range of file types, including HTML, JSON, and YAML, so you can translate all aspects of your site, including text, images, and other media.

How to Build a Multilingual Site in Webflow

Planning Your Content: Decide which pages you want to translate and which languages you want to support. You should consider the type of content that you will be providing in each language e.g. text, images, videos, and other multimedia. It's important to have all of this content ready before you start building your site. Consider your target audience, the countries or regions that you want to target and the languages that are spoken in those areas. This will help you determine which languages to support on your site.

Creating a New Project: Once you have planned your content, it's time to create a new project in Webflow. You can choose to start from scratch or use one of the many templates that are available. If you decide to use a template, make sure that it is suitable for a multilingual site. You should also consider the design elements of your site, such as colours, images, and typography. Make sure that these elements are consistent across all of your pages and languages.

Setting Up Your Pages: The next step is to set up your pages. For each language that you want to support, you should create a separate page. This will ensure that your content is organised and easy to navigate. Make sure that you name your pages appropriately, such as "Home-EN" for the English homepage and "Home-ES" for the Spanish homepage. You should also consider the navigation of your site and make sure that it is easy for users to switch between languages. When setting up your pages, you should also consider the SEO implications of your site. Make sure that each page has a unique URL and that you use the appropriate hreflang tags to indicate which language each page is in. This will help search engines understand the content of your site and index it appropriately for each language.

Adding Your Content: Next, add your content to each page. Make sure that you add the correct content to each page e.g. the English homepage should have English content. You should also ensure that your content is translated accurately and effectively. This could involve working with a professional translator or using translation software. When adding your content, you should also consider the design elements of your site. Make sure that your content is formatted correctly and that it is easy to read. It is also good to consider the multimedia elements of your site e.g. images and videos. These elements must be translated appropriately and that they are culturally appropriate for each audience.

Adding a Language Switcher: To make it easy for users to switch between languages, add a language switcher to your site. This tool allows users to switch between languages. You can add a language switcher to your site by using Webflow's built-in language switcher widget. This will ensure that your users can easily navigate your site and find the content that they are looking for. When using a language switcher, consider the placement and design of the widget. Make sure that it is easy to find and that it is consistent across all of your pages. You should also consider the language options that you provide. Make sure that you support all of the languages that you want to target and use appropriate language codes.

Setting Up Language Collections: To manage your content effectively, you should create a collection for each language that you want to support. For example, to support English and Spanish, create a collection for each language. Make sure that you name your collections appropriately, such as "Blog-EN" for the English blog and "Blog-ES" for the Spanish blog. This will ensure that your content is organised and easy to manage. Setting up language collections means you should consider the structure and design of your content. Make sure collections are consistent across all of your languages and that they are easy to navigate. You should also consider the SEO implications of your collections. Make sure that each collection has a unique URL and that you use appropriate hreflang tags to indicate which language each collection is in. This will help search engines understand the content of your site and index it appropriately for each language.

Translate Your Content: Translate your content and add it to your language collections. Make sure you add the correct content to each collection. For example, making sure the English blog collection should have English content, and the Spanish blog collection should have Spanish content.

Set Up Language Switching for Collections: Set up language switching for your collections. This will allow users to switch between languages when viewing your collections. You can do this by creating a new field in each collection called "Language" and adding a dropdown list with the languages you want to support.

Set Up Language Switching for Pages: Set up language switching for your pages. This will allow users to switch between languages when viewing your pages. You can do this by adding a dropdown list to your language switcher widget and linking it to your pages.

Publish Your Site: Once you have set up your multilingual site, it's time to publish it. Make sure you test your site thoroughly before publishing it. Check that all the content is correct and that the language switching is working correctly.

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Building a multilingual site in Webflow is easy and straightforward. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a site that supports multiple languages and reaches a wider audience. Remember to plan your content, set up your pages and collections, and add a language switcher to your site. With Webflow, you can create a multilingual site that looks great and functions perfectly.