At a minimum, there is Yandex.Google Analytics, most often they are quite enough to understand how many people visit the site daily, monthly, who these people are, what is the conversion, how much time they spend on the site, where exactly they spend it, etc. And if this seems not enough, you can connect third-party resources (although they are usually not free) and work with them.
The website makes it easier for the client to view the product range and place an order
Social networks, no matter how well you think through the presentation of goods, lose in terms of convenience and navigation. On a site with a high mobile phone number data level of usability, it is easy to find what you want through the search bar, menu, etc. And also, to place and pay for an order, you do not need to communicate with someone (for someone this may be important).
Arguments against
The site takes a long time to promote
But this is if you do not have such experience, and you are trying to promote your site for the first time. Although, on the other hand, you have many effective tools for this: contextual and banner advertising, SEO, affiliate programs, etc.
It can be difficult to manage a website
It also takes time to understand a constructor or CMS. To what you need to know understand their functionality, capabilities, nuances, features. But this is a good investment in the future, especially if you plan to launch other businesses in the future.
Social networks
Arguments for
It’s easy to get your product out on social media
Especially if the main sales segment is b2c. You don’t need huge budgets. It’s enough to have a product, the ability to make photo content (if you have services, you can use social media templates ) and write texts (although they are not always necessary either).
It is possible to quickly gather an audience
Yes, it won’t be free. But sometimes it’s contact lists enough to guess the opinion leader, microblogger, get to him with an ad and then get dozens, or even hundreds of orders.
You can also attract subscriber-customers through targeted advertising. Choose beautiful social network templates , come up with engaging texts. If you think through the sales funnel, especially the lead magnet, you can easily get the first 1000 subscribers for $100.