From Clone to Custom: How to Modify Any Website Template
Cloning gives you a head start. Customization makes it yours. This complete guide shows you how to transform any cloned template into a unique, custom website.
The Customization Mindset
A clone is not a finished product—it's a foundation. Think of it like buying a house: the structure is solid, but you need to paint the walls, arrange furniture, and add personal touches to make it home.
Level 1: Surface
Colors, logos, text. Takes 1-2 hours. Makes it look different.
Level 2: Structure
Layout changes, section reorganization. Takes 3-6 hours. Makes it feel different.
Level 3: Unique
Custom features, interactions, functionality. Takes 1-2 weeks. Makes it truly yours.
Level 1: Surface Customization (1-2 hours)
1. Update Branding Elements
Replace all visual brand elements with your own identity.
Logo Replacement
Where to find logos in code:
// Search for these patterns:
<Image src="/logo.png" />
<img src="logo.svg" />
className="logo"
// Common locations:
/public/logo.png
/public/images/logo.svg
/src/assets/logo.pngPro tip: Keep the same dimensions as the original logo to avoid layout breaks. Use SVG format for scalability.
Color Scheme Changes
Find the theme/colors file:
// Look for files like:
tailwind.config.js
theme.ts / colors.ts
styles/variables.css
globals.css
// Search for color values:
#8B7355 (hex colors)
rgb(0, 255, 136) (RGB)
--primary-color (CSS variables)Quick color swap strategy:
- 1.Identify primary brand color (buttons, CTAs)
- 2.Find all instances with global search (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F)
- 3.Replace all at once with your brand color
- 4.Test contrast with WebAIM contrast checker
Typography Updates
Change fonts:
// For Next.js with Google Fonts:
import { Inter, Roboto } from 'next/font/google'
// Update in tailwind.config.js:
fontFamily: {
sans: ['Your Font', 'system-ui'],
heading: ['Your Heading Font', 'sans-serif'],
}Recommended: Stick with 2-3 font weights max. Use Google Fonts for reliability and performance.
2. Replace All Content
Never launch with placeholder or cloned content. Make every word yours.
Headlines and Copy
Original (Cloned):
"Build amazing products faster than ever before"
Customized (Yours):
"Ship your SaaS in days, not months"
Focus on your unique value proposition. What makes YOUR product different?
Images and Media
Replace all images with your own content. Sources:
- • Unsplash/Pexels: Free stock photos (check license)
- • Midjourney/DALL-E: AI-generated custom images
- • Your own screenshots: Best for SaaS products
- • Icons: Heroicons, Lucide, or Font Awesome
Meta Tags for SEO
// Update in page.tsx or layout.tsx:
export const metadata = {
title: 'Your Product - Your Value Prop',
description: 'Your unique description (155 chars)',
keywords: ['your', 'target', 'keywords'],
openGraph: {
title: 'Your Product',
description: 'Social media description',
images: ['/og-image.png'],
}
}3. Quick Customization Wins
Small changes that make a big visual difference:
Favicon
Replace /public/favicon.ico with your logo. Use favicon.io to generate all sizes.
Button Styles
Change button roundedness (rounded-lg → rounded-full) for instant brand differentiation.
Spacing
Adjust padding/margins (p-8 → p-12) to change the "feel" from compact to spacious.
Background Patterns
Add subtle gradients or patterns from heropatterns.com to differentiate sections.
Level 2: Structural Customization (3-6 hours)
1. Modify Layout and Structure
Reorganize sections to better tell your story and highlight your strengths.
Reorder Sections
In React/Next.js, sections are usually components. Simply reorder them:
// Before (cloned order):
<Hero />
<Features />
<Pricing />
<Testimonials />
// After (your priority order):
<Hero />
<Testimonials /> // Social proof first
<Features />
<Pricing /> // Pricing after value demoStrategy: Put your strongest selling point right after the hero. For B2B: testimonials first. For B2C: features/demos first.
Remove Unnecessary Sections
Not every cloned section is relevant to your product. Delete ruthlessly:
- ✗Blog section (if you don't have a blog)
- ✗Team page (if you're solo or pre-launch)
- ✗Enterprise features (if targeting SMBs)
- ✗Integration showcase (if you have no integrations yet)
Add Missing Sections
What does the clone lack that YOUR users need?
FAQ Section
Address common objections before they ask
Comparison Table
Show why you're better than competitors
Use Case Gallery
Show different ways to use your product
2. Customize Individual Components
Modify component behavior and appearance to match your needs.
Navigation Customization
// Common nav modifications:
// 1. Change menu items
const navItems = [
{ label: 'Features', href: '#features' },
{ label: 'Pricing', href: '#pricing' },
{ label: 'Docs', href: '/docs' }, // Add new item
]
// 2. Add CTA button
<nav>
{navItems.map(...)}
<Button href="/signup">Get Started</Button>
</nav>
// 3. Mobile menu style
<MobileMenu variant="drawer" /> // or "fullscreen"Hero Section Variations
The hero makes the first impression. Try these modifications:
- • Add video background: Replace static image with product demo
- • Include social proof: "Join 10,000+ users" badge
- • Change CTA layout: Two buttons instead of one (Primary + Secondary)
- • Add search bar: If your product is search-focused
Card Component Styles
From (cloned):
className="
bg-white
rounded-lg
p-6
shadow-sm"
To (customized):
className="
bg-gradient-to-br
from-white to-gray-50
rounded-2xl
p-8
shadow-lg
hover:shadow-xl
transition-all"
3. Mobile-First Adjustments
Cloned sites might not be perfectly responsive for your content. Optimize for mobile:
Typography Scaling
// Make headings more readable on mobile:
className="text-4xl md:text-6xl" // Smaller on mobile
className="text-base md:text-xl" // Body text scalingGrid Adjustments
// If 3-column grid is cramped on mobile:
className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3"
// Or stack everything on mobile:
className="flex flex-col md:flex-row"Hide/Show Elements
// Hide complex features on mobile:
className="hidden md:block" // Desktop only
// Show simplified version on mobile:
className="block md:hidden" // Mobile onlyLevel 3: Advanced Customization (1-2 weeks)
1. Add Unique Features
This is where you truly differentiate. Add functionality the original doesn't have.
Interactive Calculators
Add ROI calculators, pricing calculators, or savings estimators relevant to your product.
Example: SaaS pricing page with interactive "Calculate your costs" tool
Live Demos
Embed interactive product demos directly in the page instead of static screenshots.
Use tools like Loom for video, or build with Sandpack for code demos
Comparison Tools
Interactive feature comparison with competitors. Let users filter by their needs.
Build with React state to show/hide features dynamically
Waitlist / Early Access
Pre-launch? Add a waitlist with position tracking and referral system.
Integrate with Resend or ConvertKit for email collection
2. Enhance with Animations
Thoughtful animations make your site feel premium and modern.
Scroll Animations with Framer Motion
import { motion } from 'framer-motion'
// Fade in on scroll:
<motion.div
initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 20 }}
whileInView={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.5 }}
>
<YourComponent />
</motion.div>
// Stagger children animation:
<motion.div
variants={{
hidden: { opacity: 0 },
show: {
opacity: 1,
transition: { staggerChildren: 0.1 }
}
}}
>
{items.map(...)}
</motion.div>Pro tip: Don't overdo it. Subtle animations feel professional, heavy animations feel gimmicky.
Micro-interactions
Small delights that make your site memorable:
- • Button hover effects (scale, color shift, shadow)
- • Loading states with skeleton screens
- • Success animations when forms submit
- • Tooltip animations on hover
- • Smooth scroll behavior between sections
3. Optimize Performance
Make your customized site faster than the original.
Image Optimization
// Use Next.js Image component:
import Image from 'next/image'
<Image
src="/hero.jpg"
alt="Hero image"
width={1200}
height={600}
priority // For above-fold images
placeholder="blur" // Smooth loading
/>
// Convert images to WebP format
// Compress with TinyPNG or SquooshCode Splitting
// Lazy load heavy components:
import dynamic from 'next/dynamic'
const HeavyChart = dynamic(() => import('./Chart'), {
loading: () => <Skeleton />,
ssr: false // Skip server-side rendering
})
// Only load when needed:
{showChart && <HeavyChart />}Remove Unused Code
Cloned sites often include features you don't need. Remove them:
- • Delete unused components and pages
- • Remove unused CSS classes (use PurgeCSS)
- • Uninstall unnecessary npm packages
- • Remove commented-out code
Complete Customization Checklist
Visual Identity
- ☐Logo replaced in all locations (header, footer, favicon)
- ☐Brand colors updated throughout (primary, secondary, accent)
- ☐Typography changed to match brand guidelines
- ☐Button styles customized (shape, size, hover states)
- ☐Spacing and padding adjusted for desired feel
Content
- ☐All headlines rewritten with your value proposition
- ☐Body copy replaced with your messaging
- ☐All images replaced (screenshots, photos, graphics)
- ☐CTAs updated to match your conversion goals
- ☐Meta tags optimized for SEO
Structure
- ☐Sections reordered to match your priorities
- ☐Irrelevant sections removed
- ☐Missing sections added (FAQ, comparisons, etc.)
- ☐Navigation menu customized
- ☐Mobile responsiveness verified
Functionality
- ☐Forms connected to your email/database
- ☐Analytics installed and tracking
- ☐Unique features implemented
- ☐Links updated to point to your pages
- ☐Social media links updated
Polish
- ☐Animations added for key interactions
- ☐Loading states implemented
- ☐Error states handled gracefully
- ☐Performance optimized (Lighthouse score 90+)
- ☐Accessibility tested (keyboard navigation, screen readers)
Common Customization Mistakes
Mistake 1: Surface-Level Changes Only
Changing colors and logos isn't enough. If the structure and content are identical to the original, you haven't added unique value. Go beyond cosmetic changes.
Mistake 2: Breaking Responsive Design
Adding content without testing mobile views. Always preview changes on mobile devices. What looks great on desktop often breaks on small screens.
Mistake 3: Inconsistent Styling
Changing button styles in one section but not others. Maintain design consistency across all pages and components. Create reusable components for common patterns.
Mistake 4: Forgetting Edge Cases
Testing with perfect data only. What happens with long text? Empty states? Errors? Test with realistic, messy data to find layout issues.
Mistake 5: Over-Engineering
Adding complex features you don't need yet. Start with simple customizations, ship fast, iterate based on user feedback. Don't spend weeks on features no one asked for.
Helpful Tools for Customization
Design Tools
- • Coolors.co: Generate color palettes
- • Realtime Colors: Preview color schemes live
- • Hero Patterns: SVG background patterns
- • Undraw: Free illustrations
- • Favicon.io: Generate favicons
Code Tools
- • Cursor/Claude: AI-powered code editing
- • Prettier: Code formatting
- • ESLint: Catch errors
- • React DevTools: Debug components
- • Lighthouse: Performance testing
Animation Libraries
- • Framer Motion: React animations
- • GSAP: Advanced animations
- • Auto Animate: Zero-config animations
- • Lottie: JSON-based animations
Testing Tools
- • BrowserStack: Cross-browser testing
- • WebAIM: Contrast checker
- • Responsively: Multi-device preview
- • PageSpeed Insights: Performance scores
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should customization take?
For basic customization (Level 1), allocate 1-2 hours. For structural changes (Level 2), plan 3-6 hours. For advanced features (Level 3), expect 1-2 weeks depending on complexity. Ship Level 1 fast, iterate to Level 2-3 over time.
Do I need to be a developer to customize?
Level 1 customization (colors, text, images) requires minimal coding. Level 2 (structure) needs basic HTML/CSS knowledge. Level 3 (custom features) requires React/JavaScript proficiency. Use AI coding assistants like Cursor to help with complex changes.
Should I customize everything before launching?
No. Ship Level 1 customization quickly to validate demand. Get user feedback, then invest in deeper customization. Perfect is the enemy of shipped. Launch with basic branding, iterate based on real usage.
How do I make sure I don't break the site during customization?
Use version control (Git). Commit after each successful change. Test in a local development environment before deploying. Keep backups of working versions. Make small changes incrementally rather than massive rewrites.
Can I hire someone to customize for me?
Absolutely. Platforms like Upwork or Fiverr have developers who specialize in template customization. Expect to pay $500-2000 for Level 2 customization, $3000+ for Level 3. Or use JustCopy.ai's AI features to help with modifications.
What if the cloned code is hard to understand?
JustCopy.ai generates clean, well-commented code. If you're stuck, use AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor) to explain code sections. Ask: "What does this component do?" or "How do I modify this to do X?" AI can walk you through changes step-by-step.
Ready to Customize Your Clone?
Start with a professional clone from JustCopy.ai, then follow this guide to make it uniquely yours. Clean code, easy customization, full control.
Clone and CustomizeGet clean code in under 2 minutes • Customize at your own pace