Site selection - you should try to place a rain barrel in a shady area to reduce the water temp and avoid watering your plants with a high content of microorganisms or mold.
Plastic barrels positioned in the direct sunlight will leach more toxins into the water. Also consider if the site provides easy access to roof soffits or other areas that raccoons would appreciate.
Consider adding a water diverter system that not only filters debris (you really don't want to be forced into cleaning out the mooky mess of leaves at the bottom of the barrel) but also switches back to the gutter when the tank is full to prevent flooding around the barrel site. I like the Rain Reserve Diverter system for keeping the system clean and turning off automatically.
Buy a barrel that has a spigot near the bottom of the barrel so you can completely drain the system and clean it out occasionally. This will also help when it's time to winterize your system.
Consider adding a platform so that you can fit a watering can underneath as well as a hose system.
If you have children who are likely to climb on the barrel, consider securing the barrel to the wall to prevent serious injury. (Children should never be allowed to climb on this in the first place)
Never drink the water out of the barrel, it has run off from roofing materials that may contain toxic chemicals.
Never water the leaves of any plants with the water from this system, instead, water the ground or use soaker hoses attached to your spigot.
Use a system that is closed off as much as possible to keep mosquitoes from making this site their preferred breeding ground.
Consider decorating your barrel - some ideas are at the end of this video.
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