Update your plugins to keep your website from crashing.

It is pretty important to keep your plugins and themes updated on your WordPress website.  A couple of times last year I had a few clients contact me panicking because their website was completely gone: the white screen of death.  I found out both of them did not updated their software, theme, and plugins for more than a year.  I think what happened is they had it set so that the WordPress software updated automatically but it was not compatible with the older theme and plugins, then crashed.  I ended up restoring from a backup so all was not lost, but it could have been prevented.  If your website is built in WordPress, make sure you keep everything updated or have me do it for you.  If you let it wait for months on end and do not have a backup your website might end up the white screen of death permanently

Should you update WordPress or plugins first?

I normally update the plugins first, the update the WordPress software.

Another tip, when you apply updates, do them one by one.  It can get pretty tedious, so I try and keep myself entertained while doing this routine maintenance.

Here is a video I found on YouTube of Snowball the dancing cockatoo. I enjoyed watching this while waiting for WordPress updates to complete.