CMSs: industry state and how to localize them best
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Content management systems (CMS) became a popular solution for managing different types of web resources - blogs, corporate websites, e-commerce, portfolios, etc. Based on the functionality, they can be split into two main categories: CMSs for general and specific tasks.
In the first group, we can include WordPress, a versatile platform for various tasks, and in the second, for example, OpenCart, tailored for e-commerce.
No matter what CMS customers are using, many are facing the question of content localization. This article will overview the CMS market and the possibilities for providing multilingual content.
The CMS Market 2024
The CMS market is growing from year to year and, in 2022, reached 19.15 billion dollars with a predicted growth of 27.3 for 2028. The leading positions in the world by market share are kept in North America.
Today, 80 million websites use CMS systems, and if we look at the top 1 million websites, 90% of them use a CMS. It is no wonder the popularity of content management systems is raising the demand for localization. At the same time, more than 90% of CMS users face localization challenges, and approximately only a third of these organizations have integrated their content management systems with translation management systems or language service providers.
In the CMS industry, the leading position for the last years has firmly kept WordPress with a market share of 64%, and more than 40% of all websites are using it. The second place is Shopify, with a considerable gap — its market share is only 6.1%. Close the top three, with 3.4% of market share, Wix. Let's take a look at the top ten CMS worldwide by market share:
| Rank | CMS | CMS market share | Website share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wordpress | 64.1% | 42.9% |
| 2 | Shopify | 6.4% | 4.3% |
| 3 | Wix | 3.4% | 2.3% |
| 4 | Squarespace | 3% | 2% |
| 5 | Joomla | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| 6 | Drupal | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| 7 | Blogger | 1.3% | 0.9% |
| 8 | Bitrix | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| 9 | Magento | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| 10 | Webflow | 0.9% | 0.6% |
Most solutions above are examples of "classic" or monolithic CMS. However, not so long ago, the headless CMS became another vital part of the CMS industry. According to Storyblok's latest study, 50% of organizations use classic (monolithic) CMSs, 35% use headless CMSs, and 15% use website builders or custom solutions.
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It is worth noting that conditional WordPress can also be used as a headless system via REST API. Still, we want to separate the CMSs that provide such an option from scratch rather than as additional functionality.
So, what are headless CMS, and what are their differences? The primary function of such systems is the ability to split the backend and frontend of the project and, as a result, provide more flexibility for developers. The logic behind headless CMS allows for different "heads" to be attached to the "body," enabling one backend to manage multiple sites and mobile applications and automating content distribution across all devices.
Compared to traditional CMS, the headless ones are much younger but have already seized part of the market. In 2022, the market size was valued at $585.65 million, predicted to grow to 1787.55 million in 2028. Solutions like Storyblok, Contentful, etc., have already covered thousands of websites and are proceeding with expansion.
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How to localize the CMS content best?
CMS localization is adapting the content inside your system to other languages. To manage this process successfully, first, let's define the types of content you will need to localize. It can be:
- Content for users - articles, information about the company, homepage, etc
- SEO content - meta title/description, alt text, keywords
- UI elements - menu, navigation, etc
- URLs
- Forms (contact, subscription, etc.)
- Legal and regulatory information
- Figures and signs - date/time/currencies
- Additionally, you should take care of the visual content like images, icons, etc.
Second, evaluate the CMS you are working in or will be working with. Take your attention to the following points:
In-built localization features. Focus on the current multilingual options available in the CMS. They could be plugins like in WordPress, integrations with TMS, or even unified templates for localized content, which provides Adobe Experience Manager Cloud and other features.
Support at least one of two translating options. When using a CMS, customers typically have two methods for content localization. The first option involves localizing content within the administrative panel, while the second is a translation through extraction. In the first scenario, CMS like WordPress and PrestaShop offer specialized plugins. The disadvantage of such an approach is that you can't use CAT tools, but it is still sufficient for small websites or landing pages.
In the second scenario, you manually extract content in formats like .xml, .xliff, .csv, etc. Then, the extracted files can be uploaded to a TMS or CAT system for translation. The best option is when the CMS seamlessly integrates with the translation management system, ensuring efficient and rapid content transfer.
| CMS | Internal localization solution | External localization |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Yes (WP plugins) | Yes, (support export XML; import files via plugin) |
| Shopify | No | Yes, multilingual external app. CSV import and export.Couldn’t localize tags, full product URL |
| Wix | Yes, Wix Multilingual plugin | Yes, CSV import and export |
| Squarespace | No | Yes, plugins. CSV import and export |
| Joomla | No | Yes, plugins |
| Drupal | Yes, modules and internal translation options | Yes, CSV import and export |
Multilingual content management. The different language versions require CMS with tools that allow setting up languages and regions settings, managing SEO, and even handling the different text directions if you are supposed to scale business to specific countries.
Maintaining the structure of a multilingual website. Maintaining the structure of a multilingual website. Navigation, consistency throughout different versions, and flexibility to manage each language version separately are integral parts of suitable CMS. This also applies to URLs. For example, some CMS platforms, like Shopify, have limitations on changing URLs, except for language codes. Therefore, with Shopify, you only have the option to use the following URLs:
- https:// website.com/en-uk/product,
- https:// website.com/en-nz/product,
etc.
CMS UI localization. Often, multilingual websites are managed by multilingual teams. Check if the CMS provides any other languages besides English.
How can Lingohub help with CMS localization?
Support over 30 different file formats
Extract the files from the CMS system and upload them to Lingohub. We support all popular formats - .xml, .xliff, .csv, etc. Use all the benefits of our translation management system for quick and qualitative localization.
Lingohub provides everything translators require, including machine translation, quality checks, style guides, translation memory, term base, and other essential tools. Using CAT tools, your localization will adhere to established rules, ensuring high-quality output from the outset.
Lingohub can assist you in localizing your website into over 40 languages, including various dialects. Our team of expert translators offers transparent estimates based on your specific requirements. Save time searching for the perfect candidate to hire for languages like Hebrew, Hindi, or Chinese - reach out to Lingohub for support.
Conclusion
Managing a website can be easier with CMS systems, but many customers need help with CMS localization. At Lingohub, we have developed a list of solutions to this issue, including different tools and integrations with popular CMS like Storyblok.
If you require assistance or have questions, please schedule a short demo call with our team or try our 14-day free trial.