Unleashing the Power of Weglot to Localize Webflow

It is no wonder that goods and services are now offered overseas with the growth of companies and startups internationally. That is where we need to localize websites.

Before diving deep into this topic, you will understand what localization means and why that is needed.

Once you have a clear idea of the meaning of localization, we will then cover Webflow localization (Webflow’s native solution), and then we will cover third-party tools that we can use.

The next step will be our analysis of Weglot, a Webflow localization tool. We'll examine its benefits and drawbacks. Apart from that, we'll see how it aids companies in localizing their Webflow websites.

Now, let us get started.

What is localization?

Localization is a solution to make your website personalized for a worldwide audience. In other words, localization is making your website multilingual so that you can reach a wider audience and can better offer your products or services worldwide.

Is localization the same as multilingualism?

Multilingualism is a subset of localization. In addition to just making your website multilingual for all countries, localization includes the following:

Content adjustments that are based on the user’s location – For example, an image from France should only be shown when the website is loaded in the French language, and that is something that is beyond the scope of just translating your website to another language.

Showing country-specific content – Showing different testimonials for different countries or showing and hiding sections based on their relevance.

Is there a native solution for localizing?

In 2023, Webflow launched its native solution of localizing websites and making them multilingual within the Designer of Webflow.

How does website translation by Webflow work?

Use the locale view option in the upper-left corner of the Designer to choose the desired locale before using machine translation to translate text content. Then, to convert any text element to the appropriate language, right-click on it and select translate to (locale language) or, you can right-click on the Body element to translate the entire page at once.

Price and monthly limit for Webflow’s localization native solution

The monthly cost of the essential plan is  $12/location (USD).

The cost of the advanced plan is $35/location (USD) each month.

Pros and cons of the native Webflow localization solution

Pros

Can be controlled within the Webflow Designer itself and doesn’t need any third-party platform or tool.

The same platform used by Webflow hosts all locales, including your preferred locale.

Localizing sitemaps.

Offers a simple and comfortable user interface that complements the Webflow CMS.

Cons

With Webflow native solution, e-commerce sites are incompatible with multilinguistic operation.

Although Webflow Localization can interface with Lokalise as a translation management solution; it does not provide a glossary capability for saved translations and omitted words.

Locales are not included in site exports.

Elevate your Webflow site with Weglot’s global impact localization

Then, what is the solution? Are there any other third-party tools to integrate with? The answer is definitely yes.

There is a tool to automate localization known as Weglot!

Weglot can help you automate the multilingualization of your Webflow website.

“The easiest way to translate a website” is how Weglot describes itself. This is true for Webflow websites based on our experience. Weglot offers a quick and simple setup after registration. Finally, the Language Switcher shows at the bottom of the page and is embedded into the head tag of your website using a straightforward script.

Weglot: Advantages versus Drawbacks

Advantages

It is quick and easy to set up even without a developer. You will have to invest just 5 minutes of your time

Available in more than 50 international languages

Identifies new languages automatically and translates them instantly

Translation quality is much higher since it is based on artificial intelligence (AI)

Provides individual adjustments to the translated texts

Single-click tool to add more languages

Provides personalized URLs for different languages

Website users are automatically redirected to their favorite language

Excellent client support and prompt assistance

Drawbacks

For other languages, you will have to change the pictures. Though, it is a bit trickier but achievable

Custom or personalized URLs are available only for the Pro Pricing plan

Comparatively higher cost. But that is justified by its scalable solution offered

Only custom code can be helpful in making complex design alterations

For country-specific content like testimonials or reviews, a custom code may be required

What about SEO? Is Weglot good enough?

When applied to your website's primary language, Weglot acts as a powerful enhancer on the global stage. Here's how Weglot automatically handles three essential SEO features for internationalization:

Custom Language URLs:

Weglot generates unique URLs for each language, whether as subdirectories (e.g., /en/...) or subdomains (e.g., en.yourwebsite.com), facilitating effective indexing by search engines.

HTML Language Attributes:

Weglot implements Hreflang tags automatically, informing search engines about language variations and improving understanding and indexing.

Translated Metadata:

Weglot translates metadata like titles and descriptions, enhancing visibility and ranking in international search results.

Server-Side Translation:

Weglot identifies and translates all relevant content, including menus and complex structures, before it reaches visitors' browsers, ensuring a seamless and SEO-friendly experience.

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