The database or grid design of website navigation is made up of multiple main divisions and each division is linked to its own database. This type of navigation can be used effectively when large amounts of data are required in the website design.

The main divisions are generally displayed as a navigation bar or list of links. When a visitor clicks on one of the navigation tabs or main links they are taken to a database of information pertaining to the subject of their search.

Database navigation model diagram

Below is a diagram showing the structure of such a site. As you can see the linking track goes from the homepage or index page to the main divisions of the website and on to the database. This makes information retrieval simple and affords the webmaster an organized website structure that is simple to maintain.

fig. 2 - Database Navigation Diagram

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Visitors options

With database navigation the visitor begins by selecting the main heading that best serves their purpose. From there they can drill down deeper and deeper into the selected database to locate the information they seek.

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Database navigation is the type of website structure used by most online merchants to classify and store information on their products. This type of website navigation is also well suited to organizations that document statistics or lists of data for distribution on the Internet.

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Examples of database navigation

An auto parts site might use this configuration when they develop their website so that their customers can locate a specific part from a particular category. The main divisions could be starters, engine parts, fluids,etc. and the databases would contain information as to specific vehicle, year, etc..

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Another example would be a search engine such as Google. From their homepage the visitor types in a search term (i.e. main division) which in turn serves up a database of links. As you can see database navigation organizes knowledge into manageable chunks which can be easily accessed by a guest.

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