The fastest way to add another language to your site
The method you use depends on what platform your site runs on. WordPress sites can use a translation plugin like Polylang or WPML that lets you create versions of each page in a new language. Wix, Squarespace, and similar builders have built-in language tools in their settings. If your site is custom-coded HTML, you will need to either create separate folders for each language or use a translation service that rewrites your code.
Most site owners start with a translation plugin because it handles the technical work — it creates a language switcher, manages URLs so search engines understand you have multiple versions, and stores translations in one place. The alternative is hiring a translator to rewrite your content by hand, which costs more but reads more naturally to native speakers.
Key Takeaways
- WordPress sites use plugins like Polylang or WPML to add languages without touching code, while Wix and Squarespace have language settings built into their dashboards.
- Machine translation (using Google Translate or similar) is fast and free but often reads awkwardly; human translation costs money but sounds natural to native speakers.
- You need to decide whether to create separate pages for each language or use a plugin that manages multiple languages on the same page structure.
- Search engines need to know which language each page is in, which plugins handle automatically but custom sites require manual setup.
Using a plugin on WordPress
If your site runs WordPress, a translation plugin is the simplest route. Polylang and WPML are the two most common choices. Both let you add a new language from your WordPress dashboard, then translate each page one at a time without writing any code.
To add a language with Polylang: go to Plugins, search for "Polylang", install it, then go to Languages in your left menu. Click "Add a new language" and choose the language you want. Polylang will create a language switcher on your site automatically. You then go to each page, click the flag icon for the new language, and either type the translation yourself or paste it from a translator.
WPML works the same way but costs money (Polylang is free for basic use). Both plugins create separate URLs for each language — so your English home page might be yoursite.com/en and your Spanish version yoursite.com/es. Search engines understand this setup and rank each language separately.
Using language settings on Wix or Squarespace
Wix and Squarespace have language tools built into their editors. You do not need to install anything.
On Wix: click Settings, then Languages & Translations. Click "Add a language" and choose which one. Wix creates a new version of your site in that language. You then edit each page in the new language version — Wix does not auto-translate, so you type or paste translations yourself. When you publish, a language switcher appears on your live site.
On Squarespace: go to Settings, then Localization. Click "Add a language" and select it from the list. Squarespace creates a separate site structure for that language. You edit pages in the new language the same way you edited them in English. Your visitors see a language picker in the header.
Machine translation versus human translation
Machine translation (using Google Translate, DeepL, or similar) is free and instant. You paste your English text and get back a translation in seconds. The downside is that it often sounds stiff or makes mistakes with idioms, brand voice, and context. A visitor who speaks the language natively will notice.
Human translation means hiring a translator or translation service to rewrite your content. It costs money — typically $0.10 to $0.25 per word depending on the language pair and the translator's experience — but the result reads naturally. For a small site with 5,000 words, expect to pay $500 to $1,250 for a professional translation.
Many site owners use machine translation first to get the site live in another language, then hire a human translator to fix the most important pages — like your home page, pricing page, and contact page. That way you get speed and natural language where it matters most.
Setting up search engines to understand your languages
Search engines like Google need to know which language each page is in, or they will not rank it correctly. If you use a WordPress plugin or Wix/Squarespace language tool, this happens automatically — the plugin tells Google in the code.
If you built your site with custom code or HTML, you need to add a language tag to each page. This means adding hreflang tags to your site's code, which tell Google that yoursite.com/en is English and yoursite.com/es is Spanish. You also need to submit a sitemap to Google Search Console that lists all your language versions. This is technical work — if you are not comfortable editing code, ask your web developer or use a plugin that handles it for you.
Choosing between separate pages and one page with multiple languages
You have two main approaches: create completely separate pages for each language, or use one page structure that switches languages when a visitor clicks the language button.
Separate pages (like yoursite.com/en and yoursite.com/es) are cleaner for search engines and let you customize content for each country — you might show different prices, images, or contact information. Plugins like WPML and Polylang create this structure automatically.
One page that switches languages (using JavaScript to swap text when you click a button) is faster to build but harder for search engines to understand. Most professionals avoid this approach because Google may not index the non-English versions.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not use automatic translation and leave it without review. Even good machine translation makes mistakes with product names, prices, and calls to action. At minimum, have a native speaker check the most visible pages.
Do not forget to translate your navigation menu, buttons, and footer. Visitors notice when the main menu is in English but the page content is in Spanish. Plugins handle this automatically, but if you are translating by hand, you have to do it yourself.
Do not create a language switcher that does not work. Test it on your phone and desktop to make sure clicking the language button actually changes the language. Broken language switchers frustrate visitors and make your site look unfinished.
Do not assume one translation works for all countries that speak the same language. Spanish in Mexico differs from Spanish in Spain. If you are targeting multiple countries, consider hiring translators from each region or at least having a native speaker review the differences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Google Translate to translate my whole site automatically?
Google Translate can translate text quickly, but it is not designed to translate entire websites. You would have to copy and paste each page manually, and the results often sound awkward. Some plugins like Google Language Translator embed Google Translate into your site, but this approach is not recommended because Google's terms of service discourage it and the translations are not always accurate.
Will translating my site hurt my search engine ranking?
No. If you set it up correctly with language tags or a plugin that handles them, search engines will rank each language version separately. Your English pages rank for English searches and your Spanish pages rank for Spanish searches. If you do not set it up correctly, search engines may get confused, so use a plugin or ask your developer to add hreflang tags.
How much does it cost to translate a website?
A plugin like Polylang is free. WPML costs $99 to $399 per year depending on the plan. If you hire a human translator, expect $500 to $2,000 for a small business site, depending on word count and language. Machine translation services like DeepL cost $5 to $25 per month for unlimited use.
What if I only want to translate some pages, not the whole site?
Most plugins let you translate individual pages. You do not have to translate everything at once. Start with your home page, main service pages, and contact page, then add more languages to other pages later. Visitors will see a language switcher, but if a page is not translated, they will see the English version.
Should I use a separate domain for each language?
No. Use subfolders (yoursite.com/en and yoursite.com/es) or subdomains (en.yoursite.com and es.yoursite.com) instead. A separate domain for each language makes it harder for search engines to understand that they are the same site, and it costs more to maintain. Plugins handle subfolders automatically.