Creating a Multilingual Site with Elementor on WordPress: A Complete Guide

Are you looking to expand your business globally but worried about language barriers? A multilingual website is your gateway to international markets. This guide will walk you through setting up a multilingual site using Elementor on WordPress—perfect for CMOs, CEOs, and customer service managers looking to reach a broader audience.

Why implement a multilingual website?

Before diving into the technical setup, let’s understand the benefits:

• Expanded market reach: 40% of internet users prefer content in their native language, significantly increasing engagement and conversion rates
• Improved SEO performance: Multilingual sites rank higher in local search results, giving you visibility in new markets
• Enhanced user experience: 72% of consumers spend more time on websites in their native language, leading to higher engagement
• Increased trust and credibility: A localized experience signals professionalism to potential customers

As research shows, 60% of global online shoppers prefer buying from sites in their native language. For businesses looking to expand internationally, a multilingual website is no longer optional but essential.

Choosing the right translation plugin

Two popular options for creating multilingual sites with Elementor are TranslatePress and WPML. Here’s a quick comparison:

Plugin	Strengths	Weaknesses
TranslatePress	Free tier, visual editing, Elementor integration	Limited to 1 language in free version
WPML	Full multilingual control, SEO-friendly URLs	Steeper learning curve, paid only
Polylang	Lightweight, integrates with Elementor	Requires manual setup for Elementor widgets

Your choice should depend on your business needs, budget constraints, and technical resources.

Step-by-step setup with TranslatePress

1. Install and activate TranslatePress

1. Go to WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Add New
2. Search for “TranslatePress” and click “Install Now”
3. After installation, click “Activate”

2. Configure language settings

1. Navigate to Settings → TranslatePress
2. Set your default language (e.g., English)
3. Add your target languages (e.g., Spanish, French, German)
4. Configure URL structure (subdirectory, subdomain, or domain)

The subdirectory format (example.com/fr/) is generally recommended for SEO purposes as it clearly signals to search engines which language version they’re crawling.

3. Set up the language switcher

1. Go to Appearance → Widgets (or use Elementor’s widget panel)
2. Add the “Language Switcher” widget to your desired location
3. Customize appearance (flags, dropdown, etc.)

Pro tip: Place the language switcher in a consistent location across all pages—typically the header or footer—so international visitors can easily find it.

4. Translate your Elementor content

1. Open any page built with Elementor
2. Click the “Translate Page” button in the WordPress admin bar
3. Use the visual editor to translate text blocks, buttons, and other elements
4. Save changes when finished

The visual translation interface is particularly powerful—you can see exactly how your translations will appear in the context of your design, ensuring consistent layouts across all languages.

5. Translate dynamic content (forms, widgets, etc.)

1. For forms, use TranslatePress’s inline editor to translate field labels and buttons
2. For dynamic content from other plugins, use the String Translation interface
3. For Elementor Pro global widgets, translate once to apply changes site-wide

Remember to translate error messages and form submission confirmations as well—these often-overlooked elements are crucial for a seamless user experience.

Setting up with WPML (alternative approach)

If your business needs more advanced translation capabilities, WPML offers robust integration with Elementor:

1. Purchase and install WPML and its components (String Translation, Translation Management)
2. Configure languages in WPML → Languages
3. Use WPML’s Translation Editor to translate Elementor content
4. Add a language switcher via WPML’s widgets or shortcodes

WPML is particularly useful for businesses with complex translation workflows involving professional translators. Its Translation Management System allows you to send content to translation services and manage the entire workflow without leaving WordPress.

Optimizing your multilingual site for SEO

To ensure your multilingual site ranks well in different regions:

1. Implement hreflang tags: Both TranslatePress and WPML handle this automatically, but verify proper implementation
2. Create language-specific URLs: Use clear URL structures like example.com/fr/ for French
3. Translate metadata: Ensure titles, descriptions, and alt text are translated for each language
4. Create separate sitemaps: Generate language-specific sitemaps for search engines

A well-structured multilingual site can significantly boost your international SEO performance, bringing organic traffic from markets you previously couldn’t reach.

Advanced multilingual features with Elementor Pro

Elementor Pro users can take advantage of these additional features:

1. Global widgets: Create reusable elements that maintain consistent design across languages
2. Dynamic content translation: Translate custom fields and dynamic data from your CRM or other systems
3. Conditional display: Show different content based on the user’s language
4. RTL support: Properly display right-to-left languages like Arabic or Hebrew

These features are particularly valuable for enterprise sites that need to maintain brand consistency while adapting to local markets.

Enhancing customer experience with multilingual support

Beyond your website content, consider implementing multilingual customer support chat to provide seamless assistance to international visitors. Tools like Askly can help you communicate with customers in their preferred language, further breaking down barriers to international sales.

For e-commerce businesses, integrating a multilingual e-commerce chatbot can automate customer support across multiple languages, handling common queries without human intervention—particularly valuable for businesses operating across different time zones.

Case study: Business impact of multilingual implementation

A mid-sized e-commerce company implemented a multilingual Elementor site using TranslatePress and saw:

• 35% increase in international traffic within 3 months
• 28% higher conversion rates from non-English speaking visitors
• 40% reduction in bounce rates from international markets

The ROI was clear: the initial investment in translation and setup paid for itself within the first quarter through increased international sales.

Common challenges and solutions

Challenge	Solution
Slow page load times	Use caching plugins and optimize images for each language version
Inconsistent translations	Utilize translation memory features to maintain terminology consistency
Complex form translations	Use TranslatePress’s visual editor for forms or WPML’s string translation
Menu translation issues	Translate menus separately in the plugin’s interface rather than in Elementor

Performance optimization is particularly crucial for multilingual sites—each additional language can impact loading speeds if not properly configured.

Expanding to other platforms

While this guide focuses on WordPress and Elementor, the principles apply to other platforms as well. If you’re using Shopify, check out our guide on creating a multilingual Shopify store for platform-specific instructions.

For those evaluating different options, our comparison of the best multilingual website builders can help you make an informed decision based on your specific business requirements.

Final thoughts

Creating a multilingual site with Elementor is a strategic investment that can significantly expand your business reach. By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to breaking language barriers and connecting with a global audience.

Remember that a truly global presence requires more than just translated content—it demands a comprehensive approach to multilingual customer engagement across all touchpoints. Combine your multilingual website with appropriate support tools to create a seamless experience for customers worldwide.

Ready to take your business global? Start implementing these steps today and watch your international audience grow.