How to Create a Multilingual Website in Kentico

Creating a multilingual website can significantly broaden your audience and enhance user experience. Kentico, a powerful content management system (CMS), offers robust features that make it easy to set up and manage multilingual sites. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to create a multilingual website in Kentico, ensuring that your content is accessible to users around the globe.

Step 1: Set Up Language Versions for Kentico

The first step in creating a multilingual site in Kentico is to define the languages you want to support. Here’s how to do it:

1. Navigate to the Settings Application: Go to the Settings application in Kentico.
2. Select the Site: Choose the site you want to configure.
3. Access the Languages Tab: Find the Languages tab under the Site settings.
4. Add Languages: Click on Add language to include the languages you want. For example, you might add Spanish, French, or German.

By adding these languages, you set the foundation for your multilingual site.

Step 2: Create Content Translations

Once you have your languages set up, it’s time to create translations for your content. Here’s how to do that:

1. Open the Pages Application: Go to the Pages application in Kentico.
2. Select the Page to Translate: Find the page you want to translate.
3. Choose the Language: Use the language selector in the top right corner to switch to the language version you want to edit.
4. Translate Content: Enter the translated text for your titles, descriptions, and body content. Remember to keep the tone and style consistent across languages to maintain your brand voice.

Repeat this process for each page you want to translate, ensuring all content is available in your selected languages.

Step 3: Configure the URL Structure – Kentico

A well-structured URL can enhance user experience and improve SEO. Here’s how to set it up in Kentico:

1. Navigate to the Settings Application: Go back to the Settings application.
2. Select the Site: Choose your site again.
3. Find the SEO and URL Tab: Look for the SEO and URL settings.
4. Set URL Patterns: Configure URL patterns for each language version. For instance, you might use /es/ for Spanish or /fr/ for French.

This configuration helps users and search engines understand the language of the content.

Step 4: Implement Language Selection

To give users the ability to switch between languages easily, implement a language selector on your website. You can do this by:

1. Adding a Language Selector Widget: Use Kentico’s built-in widgets to add a language selector to your site layout.
2. Customize the Design: Style the language selector to match your website’s design. Make sure it’s visible and intuitive for users.

This way, users can navigate seamlessly between language versions of your content.

Step 5: Test Your Multilingual Site

Before launching your multilingual website, it’s essential to test everything to ensure it functions correctly:

1. Check Content: Verify that all translated content displays correctly in each language.
2. Test Navigation: Make sure the language selector works and directs users to the correct language versions.
3. Review SEO Settings: Ensure that the SEO settings are correctly configured for each language, including meta titles and descriptions.

By thoroughly testing your site, you’ll catch any issues before your users do.

Conclusion

Creating a multilingual website in Kentico can significantly enhance your reach and improve user engagement. By following these steps, you can effectively set up language versions, manage content translations, and provide a seamless user experience. Remember, clear communication in your users’ preferred languages can make all the difference in building a loyal audience.