1) If your recipe includes egg whites, separate the eggs. Reserve the whites and gently mix in a little salt. This will break down the stringy albumin protein and make the whites require less stirring to incorporate. Mix the filling well with the yolks, then add the salted whites at the end and stir just until incorporated. The goal is to stir the whites as little as possible as any air mixed into the whites will cause the cake to souffle (puff up) and then collapse, which effects texture as well as appearance.
2) Butter the sides of the pan. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the sides and breaking itself as it cools and sinks.
3) Bake in a water bath with hot water: double-wrap the bottom of the spring form baking tin/pan in aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in, place the spring form a large baking dish, and fill the dish with hot water to a bit above the level of the cheesecake mix in the tin. This helps ensure that the custard mixture doesn't get too hot, because the temperature of the water will not rise above boiling.
4) Custards like low temperatures, so keep the oven temp at or under 325°F/150°C. 300-325°F/150-160°C is the optimum range.
5) Bake until a little bit before you would normally take it out, turn the oven off, and leave the cake in the oven with the door cracked, preferably overnight. This allows the cake to cool slowly and minimizes cracking.