Over the past five years, my work life has been the envy of my friends. While they suit up, grab their briefcase and brave a commute, I get to work from home.

But working with people in different cities and time zones with minimal face time presents a whole new set of challenges. Constant and clear communication is key to a good working relationship. Here are some best practices for working remotely online:

SHARPEN YOUR E-MAIL SKILLS. You’ve got to get good at staying on top of your inbox—especially if you’re in a different time zone. If you’re the remote worker, give messages from your manager high priority and turn them around quickly. Be clear and concise in your replies, and cover all the bases to avoid unnecessary back and forth. If your remote coworker sends a request that will take more than a day for you to act on, don’t leave him hanging. Reply with an acknowledgment: “Sounds good. I’ll get back to you about it on Tuesday.”

BE “PRESENT” VIA INSTANT MESSENGER OR WEB-BASED CHAT. Even if you’re not sitting at the office, you can be available to chat via instant messenger. While classic services like AIM, Google Talk or Yahoo! Messenger can work if your client also uses them, there are other options as well. Group chat services like Campfire are an excellent option when you or your client doesn’t want to install an IM program.

COLLABORATE ONLINE WITH THE TOOLS THAT BEST FIT YOUR CLIENT AND PROJECT. For intensive, long-term contracts, online project management applications are best. Basecamp offers a central hub where you and your clients can log in, manage task lists, track billable hours, share files and have conversations on a per-issue basis. To collaborate on individual office documents, try Google Docs or Zoho, where you can chat with your collaborators as you edit. Many Web applications for individuals also offer some level of sharing or collaboration, including Google Calendar, Evernote and Remember the Milk.

SET UP REGULAR VOICE OR VIDEO CHAT CHECK-INS. It’s easy to forget how people on-site bond with small talk over the water cooler, or during cigarette or lunch breaks. Not only can a 10-minute phone call save you time, it can also help you connect in a human way. The sound of your remote manager or freelancer’s voice saying “How was your weekend?” or “Welcome back from your vacation” can go a long way to building an effective working relationship.

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Gina Trapani is the founding editor of Lifehacker.com, a daily blog on software and personal productivity, and the author of Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better.