Set/Change the default language

Dear Support-Team,

i just purchased your plugin and i think it is great, even so very complex (what is not your fault, but the complexity of course what the customers expect) and now i am a bit overwhelmed with a probably simple task, sorry about that questions, but i am unable to find the solution/missing a simple answer in the FAQ – sorry 🙁

i have read…
a) https://wpgeodirectory.com/docs/category/translation/
b) https://wpgeodirectory.com/support/search/?bbp_search=language
c) and one particular answer from paolo (April 20, 2017 at 7:18 pm, https://wpgeodirectory.com/support/topic/translations-updates/#post-374493) worries me a bit, but you have to understand that you are into the whole plugin-thing, but many of you users aren’t so i ask anyhow now in hope to get an answer

MY QUESTION:
How change i set a different language then english?

WHAT I DID SO FAR (beside trying to find a solution in the above mentioned links):
1.) uploaded the languages files *po/*.mo to /wp-content/languages/plugins
2.) (re-)choosen and re-saved the language setting in /wp-admin/options-general.php
3.) choose the language in /wp-admin/admin.php?page=geodirectory&tab=design_settings

But still on the start page it says in english “Popular Categories”. I tried german and spanish language files, but w/o luck.

Any quick hint? Sorry…

And thank you in advance for your support,
benjamin