CORONATION STREET

⌘ CORONATION STREET ⌘ CORONATION STREET

Bringing the Cobbles Online

(SCROLL)

The Brief

How We Gave the Coronation Street Experience a Digital Home Worthy of Weatherfield.

(MORE THAN JUST TELLY)
When ITV knocked on our digital door, they came with a challenge: build a website for the brand new Coronation Street Experience in Manchester a real-life visitor attraction celebrating the UK’s most iconic soap. This wasn’t just another site. This was Corrie. We weren’t just building a digital brochure; we were creating an online extension of the cobbles themselves.

Client

Continuum Attractions / ITV

Pints, Plots, and Pixels.

Before a single pixel was pushed, we immersed ourselves in the world of Corrie. We walked the cobbles, had imaginary pints in the Rovers, and even cried a little remembering that tram crash. The goal was clear, build a website that felt like a warm welcome from Roy Cropper, with the glamour of Carla Connor’s wardrobe and the efficiency of Rita’s corner shop till.

We asked the hard questions:

How do you bottle decades of drama into a few scrolls?
How do you make the site informative and Insta-worthy?
And where the heck do we put the booking button so Norris would approve

The Build

Cobbled Together
(But in a Good Way).

Our tech stack was as sturdy as Ken Barlow’s storyline longevity. We built the site on a custom CMS that was as user friendly as Emily Bishop at a bake sale. Performance was crucial after all, no one wants to miss a tour because the site’s buffering like Deirdre’s courtroom pause.

Features we baked in:

Dynamic booking system integrated with real time availability (because those tours sell like Betty’s hotpots).
Interactive map of the set so fans can plan their perfect photo op outside the Cabin.
Content hub for exclusive behind the-scenes peeks and nostalgia trips.
Mobile-first design because even soap fans scroll while they’re waiting for the bus.

The Test

Roy-Level Precision.

Every line of code got the Norris Cole side eye. We tested across devices, screen sizes, and even browser
relics (someone’s still using Internet Explorer? Really?). Accessibility was a big focus because everyone
deserves to relive Corrie history.

And yes, we made sure the site could handle peak demand especially after a particularly juicy live episode (or Peter Barlow’s 17th wedding).

The Launch

All the Drama, None of the Downtime.

Launch day felt like a live episode. We were on Slack like Liz McDonald on her fourth espresso nervy but
glamorous. And it paid off. Site visits soared, tickets flew, and social buzz rolled in faster than a new character with a mysterious backstory.

“We’ve worked with Ian and the team at 'the18' for years now, which in itself is a testament to their expertise and way of working. They are incredibly easy to work with, super responsive and always deliver great value for money.”

“Over time, they’ve become an extension of our team, bringing not just their technical and creative skills but also a level of honesty and integrity that we really appreciate. Ian isn’t a ‘yes man’, he’ll always give a straight, considered opinion and push for what he truly believes is right for us as a client. It’s that level of trust and commitment that makes working with them such a pleasure."

Alex CaleyHead of Group Support Marketing, Continuum Attractions

Final Thoughts

Soap, but Make It Digital.

Designing and building the website for the Coronation Street Experience wasn’t just a job it was a joyride through decades of British culture. We laughed, we cried (at test bugs), and in the end, we delivered a site that truly feels like part of the Street.

So next time you book a ticket, remember behind that sleek “Buy Now” button? There’s a team who treated it with as much care as Rita treats her hairdo.