Long term plans for the management of the interactivity of the web site must be implemented. The programming languages used to create your web site are not generally affected by the translation of your web site. Just as you can change words in your web site, you can change the languages of your words. However, special software may be needed to read double-byte languages such as Chinese and Russian. A mirror site is an exact duplicate of a site, except it is translated.
Mirror sites are the easiest to manage and control.
You can develop the original site and the mirror site together, or they can be easily separated so special attention can be paid to localization and cultural concerns. The need for translation will continue to grow as borders disappear and the world becomes smaller. The need to communicate with other cultures in other languages will become mandatory for every business that wants to succeed. Those who want to travel, to explore the world and to find the best prices and services will have to consider translation. Languages that are prominent today, will be less so in the coming years.