What can I do to be taking the best shots, even at night?

Use a tripod and remote shutter release or self-timer to keep the camera still. Also think about your white balance - make sure it is set according to the color of your light source. You may need to illuminate what you are shooting so that you can focus on it accurately. Raising your ISO can make the camera more sensitive to light but also make the picture more "noisy," so either keep the shutter open longer at a lower ISO, or deal with the noise. Some cameras have less noise than others at high ISOs.