As you probably can see, I blog in Dutch and English. I have a two language blog and that is actually much work. There are a couple of disadvantages, but also a lot of advantages of blogging in two languages. Making a blog in two languages isn’t that easy as well, but I make it way more easy for you. Are you looking for ways for translating your blog, but don’t you know how? Then read this article fast.

The advantages of translating your blog

There are a couple of advantages to blogging in two languages. I blog in English and in Dutch. This way I reach way more people and I get in contact with way more people. I think this is really nice and especially to show products from Holland to English readers. I also get in contact with way more companies. Not only Dutch companies but also Chinese or English companies. You make your reach way bigger and also your public. Another advantage is, you can improve your English way more. Not just improving, but if you write a text in English around four times a week, then you improve way more. I hear a lot of people saying. ‘Start only with blogging in two languages, when you can write in English really good.’. I think this is really bullshit. Of course, your text doesn’t need a lot of grammar faults and other stuff, but when you blog in English then you really improve your English. So if you want to write in two languages, but you can’t write in English that good. Then you can still try it. If it still disappoints you then you can still stop it.

Disadvantages of translating your blog

Blogging in two languages takes a lot of time. And not just time, but really a lot of time. When this article has around 1000 words, then most of the time it takes around 1.5 hours, before you completely translated the whole article. It also depends a bit on your vocabulary. When you have to search a lot of words, then translating your article takes way more time. When you finish writing and translating your article, then you also need to re-read it. I re-read the Dutch version at the same time as I translate my blog, but then I need to check the English part as well. This goes pretty fast fortunately and even more when I don’t have many faults. The biggest disadvantage of blogging in two languages is really the time. Further, I don’t see more disadvantages.

Plugin

Unfortunately, this plugin is not up to date anymore. I have written a new tutorial about a new plugin. You should definitely check out this new tutorial!

But how can you blog in two languages? I have tried a lot of plugins and a lot are pretty bad too be honest. Some were really difficult to use and some are just really ugly. For me, it is really important that you can use the plugin in an easy way and that also looks pretty. I wanted to have a flag in the left upper corner, so you can easily switch between English and Dutch. The plugin qTranslate-X has all the things I want. I have tried all the ‘popular’ plugins, but those were too difficult or just ugly.

With the plugin qTranslate-x, you have a button on the top left, where you can switch between two languages. You don’t have to save the Dutch version first (well, I still recommend this!) or first publish the Dutch version. If you want to translate something between writing your text, then you can use this plugin really easily. When you are done translating, then you just need to plan the article and publish it. Unfortunately, the SEO is not in two languages, so you have to do that in one language. That’s not the cause of the translating plugin, but that is because of the Yoast Seo plugin.

Of course, you want to translate your whole blog in another language. You can adapt the menus in a really simple way with the same button. You can switch between to different menus, the Dutch one, and the English one. I changed a couple names in my menu and you immediately see that on your blog. In the same way, you can also change the widgets. You can make an English and a Dutch widget. For example, I made for my ‘about widget’ a Dutch and English version.

qTranslate-X is out of date! You should definitely check my new tutorial about WPML!

Translating your blog is really a must! Are you going to do it?