Managing Multi-Lingual Websites

One of the challenges I face in working on the Healing Hands for Haiti website is ensuring that each time a new piece of copy is added to the site, the French version of that copy also gets quickly uploaded. The biggest challenge is in the delay between when the English copy is written, and when the French translation is provided. Here are the steps I usually take:

1) Write the copy or blog post. This is usually from information provided by someone on the ground in Haiti, or from my archive of notes and interviews written when I visited Haiti earlier this year.

2) Upload the English version of the item as it is often time sensitive and newsworthy. Request pictures to accompany the piece.

3) Submit the approved copy to our translator. We have a few translators that work on our website, but we have found that often the interpreters that work at the Kay Kapab Klinik in Port au Prince are able to translate efficiently and with quick turnaround.

4) Upload the French version as soon as the translation comes in.

Sounds pretty easy, doesn't it? The trick is when there are several pages at a time with updates, it is critical to keep track of what stage you're at in the process.  I find that every month or so I'll review the website to see if anything has been missed.  Do you think there is a better way to do this? If so, please share in the comments.

photo credit: yedos4 from www.freedigitalphotos.net