Why Community Translation Can't Scale for WordPress Themes and Plugins
Our analysis of 60,000+ WordPress plugins and themes shows community translation covers under 5% of needs in 40 languages.
Update: The WPML affiliate program mentioned in this article has been discontinued and is no longer available.
Do You Want an Easy Way to Make More Than $1,000 a Month?
We’re sharing the best tactics to be a successful affiliate partner. We have tried to list the best practices but, of course, depending on your audience, every tip will be applicable and successful in many different ways. We recommend you choose a few of them first and see what works best for you.
#1. Trust, Credibility and Unbiased Opinion
Always explain with your own words why you recommend WPML and how it helped you. Give a real example showing why WPML is so unique and why it contributed to the success of your business. What’s more, explain clearly which version you recommend between the blog and the CMS license, with your own words.
WinningWP explained it very well:
#2. Reinforce the Idea That WPML Is a Leader in Its Market
We are the most-used and best-known multilingual WordPress plugin. We power almost 700 000 WordPress websites, which makes us the leader in the industry. We are not trying to brag, but this is the truth and we are proud to be the most complete multilingual solution for WordPress users.
e.g – Codeinwp explained it well in one of their comparison article: :
#3. Create Tutorials That Include Videos
This will help your clients understand how WPML works with your own words. Here is a great example of Adam, from WPCrafter’s YouTube channel where he compares a few multilingual plugins:
There is another great example of a written tutorial from ElegantThemes explaining how to translate Divi with WPML:
#4. Send Regular Newsletters and Share on Your Social Media
#5. Make Your Own Comparison With Our Competitors
Another best practice is to allow readers and visitors to compare products. A well-informed customer is more likely to convert than one who lacks information that is not available on your website. So it’s great if you help them make up their mind.
We have a good comparison table you can use for future projects.
Below is a great example of SOS WP, one of the top WordPress resources in Italy. They compare the 5 best solutions on the market:
#6. Make Your Post Multilingual
Many affiliates got traffic not only from the English version of the post but also from their translations.
e.g WPLANG’s blogger translated an article called “Best multilingual wordpress plugin” into several languages:
#7. Use WPML Banners and WPML Logo
In your affiliate account, you’ll find ready-to-use WPML banners. You can also create your own and add the WPML logo in your “features” or “partners” section, linking to us. If you sell on ThemeForest, we suggest you add that you are WPML compatible and you can also put an interactive banner linking to your WPML documentation.
e.g: Avada, the #1 theme sold on ThemeForest added us in their footer:
Another good example is BeTheme which added a WPML banner to their description on ThemeForest:
#8. Write a Case Study And/or Interview Us
We would be very happy to work with you and share some translation and other business tips. A few months ago, Ben from Elementor interviewed Amir, our CEO, about Strategies that Web Developers should know in 2018. It’s invaluable for us to share our story with you, so if you are interested, let’s schedule an interview.
#9. Include the WPML Installer in Your Theme or Plugin
If you are a theme or plugin author, you can provide multilingual-ready themes and plugins to your clients. A small piece of PHP code will offer your clients the option to buy, install, and activate WPML right from within your theme. Add your affiliate ID there and collect commissions.
Conclusion
That’s it! This is how you can help us spread some love for WPML. Remember that your first mission as an affiliate is to recommend us only if you see a real value in our product. We encourage you to have a helping rather than selling tone when you talk to your audience. If you have any other tips to share, we definitely want to hear from you in the comments.
Not an Affiliate yet but Want to Give It a Try?
If you are already a client you can join our affiliate program directly from your account. Remember that we can help you with test sites, designs and the latest trends in multilingual websites.
| Purchase | Regular Commission (USD) | Prime Commission (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Multilingual Agency | 40 | 80 |
| Multilingual CMS | 20 | 40 |
| Multilingual Blog | 8 | 16 |
If you are an experienced blogger wanting to become an affiliate, please feel free to drop us a mail at partnerships@onthegosystems.com. We can also provide you with details regarding our Prime Affiliate status (higher commission, long term collaboration etc.).
