Auto-scaling policies that adjust resources automatically in response to the web traffic provide the most effective means to handle varying load, such as peak usage times, ensuring that service availability is maintained without manual intervention. Workload distribution can enhance performance but may not automatically adjust to traffic spikes. A cold site provides a backup in case of a complete site failure and won't help with immediate traffic load. Biannual failover testing is important for disaster recovery preparedness but does not address the immediacy of peak load times.